JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 1,600 officers and sergeants with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office now wear body cameras, but the agency only reviews specific incidents among the thousands of hours of footage collected daily.
JSO requires all patrol and investigations units to wear body cameras during duty, according to Public Information Officer Christian Hancock.
“There’s no reason for every piece of video to be reviewed. It’s only reviewed if someone believes there’s an issue,” Hancock said. “If there’s a complaint, the officer can review his or her own body-worn camera.”
The agency reviews body camera footage in four key situations:
- When officers use force, such as takedowns, tasers, or strikes
- When an officer makes an arrest
- When someone files a complaint about an officer’s behavior
- For internal training and evaluation purposes
The cameras are activated during a call for service. The devices capture the previous 30 seconds of video without audio to catch the moment an officer arrives at a scene is caught on camera -- even if they activate the camera slightly delayed.
Once recorded, footage uploads to a secure third-party cloud platform. Officers cannot delete or edit footage in the field. Standard footage remains in storage for 90 days, while more serious cases like DUIs or injuries in the line of duty have longer retention periods.
In use-of-force incidents, supervisors compare officers’ detailed reports against the camera footage to ensure accuracy. Any discrepancies trigger internal investigations.
“All that documentation should match. And of course, the body-worn camera should support that,” Hancock said.
The volume of footage creates a significant workload for review teams. Video redaction requires frame-by-frame editing to blur out faces, especially for undercover detectives.
Review teams dedicate entire workdays to examining footage requested by the public, media, prosecutors, and other agencies.
JSO launched its body camera pilot program in 2018 amid criticism from community groups about inconsistent video releases. Since then, the agency has made releasing videos of high-profile incidents standard practice.
While artificial intelligence video analysis technology exists, JSO currently has no plans to implement AI for body camera review.
The agency maintains that body cameras have proven valuable for clarifying incidents, confirming officer conduct, and providing transparency to the public.