By Police1 Staff
SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department has launched a dedicated YouTube page for the release of body camera videos to the public in a bid for transparency.
The videos, which feature blurred, black and white images and no sound, are redacted in the interest of privacy of those featured in the footage, KING 5 reported.
“Citizens, as these cameras are used more by police departments across the country, are going to want to see the footage that we are capturing.” Seattle Police Chief Operations Officer Mike Wagers told KING 5.
The department also offers a clearer version of each video through a public disclosure request if a viewer sees a need to access a less edited version.
The move comes after the department hosted a ‘hackathon’ in December that solicited techies to help the agency come up with a solution for public access. The event was inspired by a Washington man’s prior request for all available video footage from the department, the Seattle Times reported.
Click here to view the Seattle Police Department’s body-worn video page.