LAPD officer

Los Angeles Police Plan to Review Body Camera Footage for Instances of ‘Biased Policing’

The new approach to reviewing officers’ footage comes as researchers question how much impact body cameras have had on police behavior.

Body cameras worn by Los Angeles police officers record over 14,000 interactions each day. Now, the department is implementing a policy to review random recordings to check if officers are following certain guidelines in how they interact with residents.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, a union that represents police officers, to allow officers to inspect footage that does not involve arrests or use of force, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The goal is to allow department supervisors to determine if some cops need additional training to address issues with biased policing. Footage will be reviewed to ensure that officers explain their actions when they stop people and are not rude, Moore told the Times.

The “vast majority” of inspections will likely show officers acting consistent with the department’s expectations, Moore added.

“We can improve the public’s trust,” Moore said on Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity to make sure people are being treated fairly.”

The new review policy is a change from the department’s previous practices, where supervisors only reviewed body camera footage if it involved an arrest or officers’ use of force. Shane Murphy Goldsmith said she was happy to see the department acknowledge complaints of biased policing and adopt a “comprehensive” approach to addressing the issue.

“[The plan to inspect] video footage to identify trends, develop training and hold officers accountable to the highest standard of fair and unbiased policing is a big step forward,” Goldsmith said.

Since field-testing body cameras in 2014, the LAPD has deployed more than 7,000, according to the Times. The department’s new approach can also be seen as a response to criticisms that body cameras have not had a substantial impact on the prevalence of biased policing. One 2019 study, conducted by researchers at the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University, found that body cameras did not have a consistent or significant effect on either officer behavior or public views of police.

That’s because body cameras cannot be seen as an “easy panacea for improving police performance, accountability and relationships with citizens,” the researchers wrote. Police and researchers need to address how body-worn cameras “can be used in police training, management and internal investigations to achieve more fundamental organizational changes,” the George Mason researchers said.

That seems to be the idea behind the policy change in Los Angeles. Tom Saggau, a police union spokesperson, said that his organization stands behind the new inspection policy and that police leaders can discipline officers for misconduct captured on their cameras.

“If they identify misconduct, then the chips will fall how they fall,” he said.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report: 2025 Video Surveillance Market Set to Grow After Small Decline in 2024

    Novaira Insights has unveiled its latest report, “World Market for Video Surveillance Hardware and Software – 2025 Edition.” The research indicates that the global market for video surveillance hardware and software experienced a slight decline of 0.3% in 2024. This performance fell short of previous forecasts, primarily due to a significant decrease of 7.8% in the Chinese market. Conversely, the rest of the world saw a growth of 4.9%. The global market for video surveillance equipment was estimated to be worth $25.0 billion in 2024. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities