Norwood P.D.

Massachusetts treats body-worn camera footage as public records under the Public Records Law, subject to the same exemptions that apply to other public records. Any person may request BWC footage from a police department or agency; the agency’s Records Access Officer handles requests and must respond within 10 business days (with possible exemptions/redactions). Denials can be appealed first to the agency’s Supervisor of Public Records and, if unresolved, to the courts under the public-records framework. There is no single statewide statute that unambiguously prescribes a uniform release regime for all BWC footage; instead, MA relies on public-records law plus department policies and forthcoming uniform regulations developed by the Law Enforcement Body Camera Task Force (established by the 2020 Police Reform Act). The state maintains a retention schedule for BWC footage (J03-07) which requires careful handling of footage linked to investigations or appeals. Examples of local practice (e.g., Cambridge) illustrate how footage may be released with redactions to protect privacy and ongoing investigations. Researchers should file with the RAO for each agency and review applicable exemptions that may apply to specific footage (privacy, ongoing investigations, security, etc.).