Activists call for faster release of JSO body camera footage; Sheriff open to changing policy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Local activists call for faster release of body camera footage and Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams says he’s open to changing policy.

The recent protests in Jacksonville are igniting new conversations about transparency within law enforcement agencies across the country.

Local activists are questioning the effectiveness of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office body camera program.

A question that continues to come up is: when video should be released?

In a news conference Tuesday, Sheriff Williams said he was open to changing the body camera video release policy, if it’s legal, and that it’s an ongoing conversation with the State Attorney’s Office.

Sheriff Williams said complex and complicated cases, like officer-involved shootings, take longer to release the video because of the investigations involving the State Attorney’s Office and an internal JSO review.

“We are committed to that process,” Sheriff Williams said. “We would not have committed to it if we were not going to share video, but again there’s some complexities that we have to work through.”

Sheriff Williams said they have to find a balance between protecting the integrity of the investigation and determining at what point the video becomes public record.

“It’s not as important to release footage as it is to make sure we get those investigations correct,” Sheriff Williams said.

Sheriff Williams announced Tuesday every sworn officer below the rank of Lieutenant is now assigned a body camera.

Action News Jax reported JSO rolled out its body camera program in the fall of 2018.

Since then, there have been at least 20 officer-involved shootings.

Sheriff Williams said the first officer-involved shooting captured on body camera was in 2019. He said he expects the video to be released next week.

Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis is demanding the faster release of officer-involved shooting footage.

“I’ll be putting forth legislation compelling the Sheriff to release body cam video when it’s legal and appropriate,” Dennis said.

In a letter addressed to Sheriff Williams Tuesday evening, the NAACP Jacksonville Branch called on JSO to release body camera video of police shootings within 48 hours.

Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson said releasing video helps build transparency and trust in the community.

“The quicker you see what’s really going on on-camera, the quicker we’ll understand the dynamic of the relationship between police officers and citizens of our community. That’s what makes trust,” Carson said.

Carson suggested creating a tiered level for when certain videos should be released.

“If there’s a police-involved shooting where someone is injured or killed, there’s a 90-day waiting period,” Carson said. “If it simply involves a dispute with a police officer, maybe 10 days.”

Carson said 90 days is typically more than enough time to sort out the investigation in a police-involved shooting.

“The events are fairly clear a week or two after the event. There’s no reason to hold it out,” Carson said.

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