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DOJ ending policy prohibiting federal agents from using body cameras

department of justice DOJ
Posted at 5:30 PM, Jun 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-08 18:30:54-04

The Justice Department announced this week they will be requiring federal agents to wear cameras while serving arrest warrants or conducting raids.

The new policy was made in a three-page memo from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. It will impact about 20,000 federal agents.

The agency says, in an effort to be more transparent, officers will also use body cameras when they encounter the public during pre-planned operations.

In 2020, the DOJ announced state and local officers who were serving on a federal task force could use their body-worn cameras during some operations.

Agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the DEA, and FBI have 30 days to submit plans for how they'll use body cams.

Alex Livingston and Simon Kaufman contributed to this report.