The Flagstaff City Council recently surprised everyone with its unanimous decision to charge a fee for body camera footage provided to residents, legal representatives and members of the media. The move follows a precedent set by the Arizona Legislature last year, which allowed local governments to charge up to $46 an hour for such footage.

reveal the decision

The costs incurred in the process of transferring the footage to a CD or thumb drive are an additional burden to the requester. If the measure gets the green light on a final vote, the total cost could reach as high as $76 an hour. A final vote is scheduled for February 6th, and if passed, the new fees will go into effect on March 8th.

criticism and concerns

This landmark decision is not without its critics. Many Democratic lawmakers and the Arizona Media Association have expressed concern that imposing such a fee could deter individuals and groups from requesting this footage and undermine transparency.

What's behind the cost?

The proposed fee is intended to cover the costs associated with reviewing and editing the footage, a process estimated to take approximately 45 minutes for a one-hour video. Flagstaff has been a pioneer in providing body camera footage since 2014. Between July 2022 and June 2023, the local police department responded to 136 requests for footage, which amounted to nearly 200 hours of video editing.

Commitment to transparency

While the new fees are controversial, the Flagstaff Police Department has been diligent in maintaining transparency with the public. The company regularly posts important incidents on a dedicated, transparent website and provides free access to interested parties. The last update to the site was posted in September 2022.