Police body cameras

The Lexington Police Department requires officers to activate their body-worn camera for all law enforcement contact with citizens, investigative or otherwise, that occur within the performance of an officer’s official duties. These interactions include pedestrian and vehicle stops, calls for service at businesses and homes, and motorist assists.

In 2021 the city approved and renewed the five-year contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. The contract covers the cost of cameras and cloud-based video storage. 

Presentations to Council about body-worn cameras

Body-worn camera video example

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a body-worn camera and where will officers mount it?  A body-worn camera is a small camera mounted on the uniform of a police officer which will record interactions between law enforcement officers and citizens

2. What is the brand of body-worn camera used by Lexington Police?  The police department uses Axon brand body-worn cameras.

3. Will every officer in the police department have a body-worn camera?  Yes, as of June 29, 2021, all division officers, including the Chief of Police and Traffic Safety Officers are equipped with body-worn cameras.

4. When is an officer required to turn the body-worn camera on?  With few exceptions, officers will be required to record all law enforcement related contacts with the public.

5. Will all police interactions be recorded? What if someone does not want to be recorded?  With few exceptions, officers will be required to record all law enforcement related contacts with the public.  There will be some exceptions, e.g. crime victims, where obtaining the statement from the victim outweighs the need to have the encounter recorded.

6. Why not record the entire shift?  There is not a legitimate law enforcement purpose to require an officer to keep a camera on for a full shift. In addition to times when the officer may have an expectation of privacy, an officer’s shift also includes administrative duties that do not involve contact with a citizen.

7. Are officers required to tell citizens they are being video recorded? Kentucky is considered a one party consent state as it pertains to being recorded. This means that only one person has to be aware that a recording is in progress. That person is generally the recorder.

8. Can an officer record inside a private residence? Yes, under the following circumstances: (1) if there is a valid warrant; (2) consent from the resident; or (3) if there is a legal exception for the police to enter a dwelling. Absent those legal circumstances, if a resident does not consent to entry, officers will not enter the home absent a warrant or exigent circumstances. If consent is given, the body-worn cameras will remain on absent a specific policy exemption.

9. Can anyone edit the video?  The original version of the video cannot be edited by anyone, including system administrators.  Redacted copies of the videos to blur people/objects, remove audio, and narrow the video to relevant sections can be created by authorized users.  The original version of the video will remain unchanged.

10. Can anyone delete a video?  Videos can be deleted either though an automated retention system based upon the type of incident recorded, or manually by a system administrator.  Manual deletions will only be done after a criminal case is adjudicated in a court of law or if a recording was accidentally made in a location restricted by policy, such as a restroom.  Manual deletions of accidental recordings will require command staff approval and the documentation of that decision will be kept on file.

11. How long will the videos be retained? Non-evidential videos will be retained for 60 days.  Evidential videos will be retained until the criminal case is adjudicated in a court of law or the statute of limitations has passed.

12. Who can obtain a copy of the body-worn camera video?  The release of recordings to any person shall be made in accordance with current department policy and procedures, and pursuant to requirements of applicable law, including but not limited to the Kentucky Open Records Act.

13. Why shouldn’t all video recorded by police by made available to the public? Individual privacy is one of the most critical issues for people interacting with police.  People often need to seek police assistance when they are going through difficult personal challenges, and the police department is sensitive to those circumstances. Certain groups, particularly juveniles and crime victims, have strong specific privacy protections provided by law.  The police department must balance the legitimate interest of public transparency with the protection of the individual’s privacy rights. 

14. How does the BWC program increase police accountability if the public cannot see the videos? Videos will increase accountability by recording interactions from start to finish and being available to those involved in the incident, partners in the criminal and civil justice system, and any government agency that investigate the police.

15. Does the department have plans to use facial recognition technology with the video from the body-worn cameras? The department does not have any current plans to use facial recognition technology in connection with body-worn camera video.

Department policy

The Lexington Police Department consulted with several law enforcement agencies and community organizations—including the NAACP, Lexington Human Rights Commission, American Civil Liberties Union, Commonwealth’s Attorney and County Attorney—to develop the body-worn camera policy.

View the policy - GO 2015-15C Body-Worn Cameras