10.11

San Francisco Police Department

GENERAL ORDER

Eff. 06/01/16

BODY WORN CAMERAS
I. PURPOSE
The use of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) is an effective tool a law enforcement agency
can use to demonstrate its commitment to transparency, ensure the accountability of its
members, increase the public's trust in officers, and protect its members from unjustified
complaints of misconduct. As such, the San Francisco Police Department is committed
to establishing a BWC program that reinforces its responsibility for protecting public and
officer safety. The purpose of this Department General Order is to establish the policies
and procedures governing the Department's BWC program and to ensure members'
effective and rigorous use of BWC and adherence to the program.
The BWC is a small audio-video recorder with the singular purpose of recording
audio/visual files, specifically designed to be mounted on a person. The BWC is
designed to record audio and video activity to preserve evidence for use in criminal and
administrative investigations (including disciplinary cases), civil litigation, officer
performance evaluations, and to review police procedures and tactics, as appropriate.
II. POLICY
A. Use of Equipment. The Department-issued BWC is authorized for use in the course
and scope of official police duties as set forth in this Order. Only members
authorized by the Chief of Police and trained in the use of BWCs are allowed to
wear Department-issued BWCs. The BWC and all recorded data from the BWC are
the property of the Department. The use of non-Department issued BWCs while onduty is prohibited.
B. Training. Prior to the issuance of BWCs, officers will be trained on the operation
and care of the BWCs. This training will include mandatory, permissible and
prohibited uses, significant legal developments, and use of BWCs in medical
facilities.
C. Program Administrator. The Risk Management Office (RMO) is the BWC's
program administrator. The duties of the RMO include, but are not limited to:
Tracking and maintaining BWC inventory
Issuing and replacing BWCs to authorized members
Granting security access to the computer server
Monitoring retention timeframes as required by policy and law
Complying with Public Record Act (PRA) requests and all court record requests
Conducting periodic and random audits of BWC equipment and the computer
server
7. Conducting periodic and random audits of BWC recordings for members'
compliance with the policy

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
III. PROCEDURES
A. Set Up and Maintenance.
Members shall be responsible for the proper care and use of their assigned BWC and
associated equipment.
1. Members shall test the equipment at the beginning of their shift and prior to
deploying the BWC equipment to ensure it is working properly and is fully
charged.
2. If the member discovers a defect or that the equipment is malfunctioning, the
member shall cease its use and shall promptly report the problem to his/her
Platoon Commander or Officer in Charge.
3. If the member discovers that the BWC is lost or stolen, the member shall submit a
memorandum though the chain of command memorializing the circumstances, in
accordance with Department General Order 2.01, Rule 24, Loss or Damage to
Department Property.
4. If the member's BWC is damaged, defective, lost or stolen, the member's
supervisor shall facilitate a replacement BWC as soon as practical.
Members
shall attach the BWC in such a way to provide an unobstructed view of
5.
officer/citizen contacts. The BWCs shall be considered mounted correctly if it is
mounted in one of the Department-approved mounting positions.
B. Notification and Consent.
When feasible, members should inform individuals that they are being recorded.
However, state law allows members to record communications that he or she could
lawfully hear or record. Penal Code § 633 see also People v. Lucero 190 Cal. App. 3d
1065, 1069. Members are not required to obtain consent from members of the public
prior to recording when the member is lawfully in the area where the recording takes
place.
Members are not required to activate or deactivate a BWC upon the request of a citizen.
In addition, members are not required to play back BWC recordings to allow members of
the public to review the video footage.
C. Authorized Use.
All on-scene members equipped with a BWC shall activate their BWC equipment to
record in the following circumstances:
1. Detentions and arrests
2. Consensual encounters where the member suspects that the citizen may have
knowledge of criminal activity as a suspect, witness, or victim, except as noted in
Section III, D.
3. 5150 evaluations
2

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
4. Traffic and pedestrian stops
5. Vehicle pursuits

6. Foot pursuits
7. Uses of force
8. When serving a search or arrest warrant
9. Conducting any of the following searches on one's person and/or property:
a. Incident to an arrest
b. Cursory
c. Probable cause
d. Probation/parole
e. Consent
f Vehicles
10. Transportation of arrestees and detainees
11. During any citizen encounter that becomes hostile
12. In any situation when the recording would be valuable for evidentiary purposes
13. Only in situations that serve a law enforcement purpose
D. Prohibited Recordings.
Members shall not activate the BWC when encountering:
1. Sexual assault and child abuse victims during a preliminary investigation
2. Situations that could compromise the identity of confidential informants and
undercover operatives
3. Strip searches
However, a member may record in these circumstances if the member can articulate an
exigent circumstance that required deviation from the normal rule in these situations.
Members shall not activate the BWC in a manner that is specifically prohibited by DGO
2.0 1, General Rules of Conduct, Rule 56 Surreptitious Recordings and DGO 8. 10,
Guidelines for First Amendment Activities.
-

-

E. Terminations of Recordings.
Once the BWC has been activated, members shall continue using the BWC until their
involvement in the event has concluded to ensure the integrity of the recording, unless the
contact moves into an area restricted by this policy. Members shall deactivate the BWC
in the following circumstances:
1. When discussing sensitive tactical or law enforcement information away from the
citizen
2. After receiving an order from a higher ranking member
3. When recording at a hospital would compromise patient confidentiality
4. When gathering information from witnesses or community members, and the
officer has a reasonable and articulable concern that a BWC would inhibit
information gathering efforts

3

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
In cases when a member deactivates a BWC, the member shall document the reason(s)
for deactivation as outlined in Section III, G, Documentation.
F. Viewing BWC Recordings.
1. A member may review a BWC recording on his/her assigned device or on an
authorized computer for any legitimate investigatory purpose, including but not
limited to, preparing an incident report, preparing statements, conducting a
follow-up investigation, or providing testimony.
Following any (1) officer-involved shooting; (2) in-custody death; or (3) criminal
matter, any subject officer shall be required to provide an initial statement before
he or she reviews any audio or video recording.
The initial statement by the subject officer shall briefly summarize the actions that
the officer was engaged in, the actions that required the use of force, and the
officer's response. The statement shall be distinct from the "public safety
statement."
After providing an initial statement, the subject shall have an opportunity to
review any audio or video recordings depicting the incident with his or her
representative or attorney prior to being subject to an interview.
Nothing in this section is intended to limit the Office of Citizens Complaints'
(0CC) role in these investigations.
2.

Members shall not access or view a BWC unless doing so involves a legitimate
law enforcement purpose.

G. Documentation.
Members submitting an incident report or completing a written statement shall indicate
whether the BWC was activated and whether it captured footage related to the incident.
If a member deactivates a BWC recording prior to the conclusion of an event, the
member shall document the reason(s) for terminating the recording in CAD, an incident
report, a written statement or a memorandum.
If a higher ranking member orders a subordinate member to deactivate the BWC, the
higher ranking officer shall document the reason(s) for the order in CAD, an incident
report, a written statement or a memorandum.
If a member reactivates the BWC after turning the equipment off, the member shall
document the reason(s) for restarting the recording in CAD, an incident report, a written
statement or a memorandum.

11

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
If a member determines that officer or public safety would be compromised if a BWC
were activated during an incident requiring its use, the member shall document in CAD,
an incident report, a written statement or a memorandum the reason(s) for not using the
BWC.
H. Storage and Use of Recordings.
1. A member who has recorded an event shall upload the footage prior to the end of
his/her watch unless instructed to do so sooner by an assigned investigator or a
superior officer. If the member is 1) the subject of the investigation in an officerinvolved shooting or in-custody death; 2) the subject of a criminal investigation;
or 3) at the discretion of the Chief of Police or his/her designee, the senior ranking
on-scene supervisor shall take immediate physical custody of the camera and take
responsibility for uploading the data.
2. When uploading recordings to the computer server, members shall identify each
BWC recording with the incident report number, CAD number or citation number
and the appropriate incident category title to ensure the recording is accurately
retained and to comply with local, state and federal laws.
3. Members are prohibited from tampering with BWC recordings, accessing BWC
recordings for personal use, and from uploading BWC recordings onto public or
social media internet websites without written approval from the commanding
officer of the RMO.
I. Duplication and Distribution.
1. The San Francisco Police Department's goal is to release BWC recordings to the
greatest extent possible unless disclosure would:
a. endanger the safety of a witness or another person involved in the
investigation,
jeopardize
the successful completion of an investigation, or
b.
c. violate local, state and/or federal laws, including but not limited to, the right
of privacy.
2. Departmental Requests:
a. The officer-in-charge or commanding officer of the investigative unit
assigned the incident recorded by the BWC, or the commanding officer of
the RMO shall have the authority to permit the duplication and
distribution of the BWC files.
b. Any member requesting to duplicate or distribute a BWC recording shall
obtain prior written approval from the officer-in-charge or the
commanding officer of the unit assigned the investigation, or the
commanding officer of the RMO.

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
c. Duplication and distribution of BWC recordings are limited to those who
have a "need to know" and a "right to know" and are for law enforcement
purposes only. The Department shall maintain a log of access,
duplication and distribution.
d. When releasing BWC recordings, members shall comply with federal,
state and local statutes and Department policy.
3. Non-Departmental Requests:
a. The Department shall accept and process PRA requests in accordance
with the provisions of federal, state and local statutes and Department
policy.
b. Members shall provide discovery requests related to the rebooking
process or other court proceedings by transferring the BWC recording to
the requesting agency by using the computer server where the BWC
recording is stored.
c. When requested by the 0CC, members of the Legal Division shall
provide the BWC recordings consistent with the Police Commission's
document protocol policy on 0CC routine requests.
J. Retention.
Consistent with state law, the Department shall retain all BWC recordings for a
minimum of sixty (60) days, after which recordings may be erased, destroyed or
recycled.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, the Department shall retain
BWC recordings for a minimum of two (2) years if:
a. The recording is of an incident involving a member's use of force or
officer-involved shooting; or
b. The recording is of an incident that leads to the detention or arrest of an
individual; or
c. The recording is relevant to a formal or informal complaint against a
member or the Department.
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, a BWC recording may be
saved for a longer or indefinite period of time as part of a specific case if deemed
relevant to a criminal, civil or administrative matter.
3. A member may not delete any BWC recording without prior authorization. The
member seeking to delete a recording shall submit a memorandum to his/her
Commanding Officer requesting to delete footage from a BWC file and shall
make an entry of the request in the appropriate case file, if applicable. The
Commanding Officer shall then forward the memorandum to the Commanding
Officer of the RMO for evaluation and appropriate action.

 DGO 10.11
Eff. 06/01/16
4. Subject to the above limitations, members of the RMO are authorized to delete
BWC recordings in accordance with the Department's established retention
policies on BWC recordings or when directed by the Commanding Officer of the
RMO.
5. The Department shall retain permanently all records of logs of access as set forth
in 1.1.3 and deletion of data including memorandums as set forth in J.3 and J.4
from the BWC.
K. Accidental or Unintentional Recordings.
If a BWC accidentally or inadvertently captures an unintended recording, the member
may submit a memorandum through the chain of command specifying the date, time,
location and a summary of the unintentionally recorded event. This memorandum shall
be forwarded to the Commanding Officer of the RMO for evaluation and appropriate
action.
L. Discovery of Potential Misconduct during Authorized Review.
Members reviewing recordings should remain focused on the incident captured in the
BWC and should review only those recordings relevant to the investigative scope. If a
member discovers potential misconduct during any review of the BWC, the member shall
report the potential misconduct to a superior officer. The superior officer shall adhere to
the provisions of Department General Order 1.06, Duties of Superior Officers, Section
I.A.4. Nothing in this procedure prohibits addressing Department policy violations.
M. Targeting Prohibited.
Department supervisors may access BWC footage for purposes consistent with the
policy. Supervisors may not review an officer's BWC footage to search for violations of
Department policy without cause.

References:
DGO 1.06, Duties of Superior Officers
DGO 2.01, Rules 23 and 24, Use of Department Property and Loss or Damage to
Department Property
DGO 2.01, Rule 56, Surreptitious Recordings
DGO 8. 10, Guidelines for First Amendment Activities

7