The Department of Homeland Security has released new regulations regarding body cameras for its agents and officers.
On Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas released recommendations for various government departments, including the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The government claims the new regulations are in response to an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in May 2022 on promoting effective, responsible policing and criminal justice policies to increase public confidence and safety.
The memo specifies that body cameras are to be used by law enforcement only while on patrol or responding to calls from the public, during the attempted service of an arrest warrant or other preplanned arrests, and the execution of a search warrant or seizure order.
The body cameras must also be used during the capture of people on the run sought on local or state warrants.
According to a statement made by Mayorkas, the ability to secure the border and homeland relies on “public trust.” He said it is developed through transparency, accountability, and efficiency in law enforcement processes.
DHS has ordered that its law enforcement officers and agents use body-worn cameras in an effort to increase confidence and public trust in the agency’s tens of thousands of committed and professional law enforcement officers.
Department of Homeland Security officials have stated that during the past two years, the CBP has distributed seven thousand body cameras to agents working along the southwest and northern borders. Enforcement and Removal Operations officers in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Indianapolis joined special agents from Homeland Security Investigations on special response teams in El Paso, Texas; Houston, Texas; Newark, New Jersey, and New York, New York; and The Secret Service has also released a body-camera policy.
