Minnesota Cities Press for Body-Camera Footage Restrictions

Duluth Police Support Restrictions

Sixteen Minnesota cities are petitioning the state for a temporary declaration that police body camera data be presumed private in most instances.

An application for the data classification was filed late Monday with the Department of Administration, which must decide within the next three months.

It’s the latest move to put limits around footage collected by the small devices that more police officers are wearing to record their interactions with the public.

The applicants say limitations are justified because police encounters with the public can be highly emotional or inside bathrooms, bedrooms or medical facilities.

Transparency advocates say clamping down on data would weaken the cameras as accountability tools.

The request leaves room for release if the subject of the data requests it, but with possible redactions.

Here are the cities making the request:
     -Aitkin
     -Baxter
     -Big Lake
     -Brainerd
     -Brooklyn Park
     -Burnsville
     -Farmington
     -Grand Rapids
     -Jordan
     -Maplewood
     -Montevideo
     -Onamia
     -Richfield
     -Rochester
     -St. Anthony
     -Starbuck

Cities expressing support in letters to the agency commissioner:
     -Bloomington
     -Duluth
     -Eden Prairie
     -Madelia
     -Maple Grove
     -Mounds View
     -Oak Park Heights
     -Plymouth
     -Worthington