Idaho panel spikes latest body camera retention bill

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho legislative leaders have killed the latest attempt to regulate how long police departments retain body camera footage.

In Idaho, individual law enforcement agencies decide whether or not they want to implement body-worn cameras because there is no statewide policy on the practice. This has sparked debate over the best guidelines on retention.

Teresa Baker, with the Idaho Association of Counties, has floated several proposals this legislative session to lawmakers, arguing that the costs of storing police video footage can be crippling for some local jurisdictions. However, the House Ways and Means Committee – made up of the House’s top leaders – spiked the new proposal on Thursday after objecting that the timelines suggested in the bill were too strict.