House Bill No. 5381, Public Act No. 24-15, is an act concerning the use of police body-worn recording equipment. The bill mandates that all police training programs in Connecticut include tactical training on the use of physical force, the operation of body-worn recording equipment, and the retention of data created by such equipment. It also requires training in cultural competency, sensitivity, and bias-free policing, including implicit bias training. The bill specifies new legal language that requires training to include instructions on circumstances under which an officer should not pause recording on body-worn equipment.

Additionally, the bill updates guidelines maintained by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Police Officer Standards and Training Council regarding the use of body-worn recording equipment and dashboard cameras. These guidelines will now include provisions detailing when an officer should not pause recording, effective from October 1, 2024. The guidelines also cover the type of detective work that should not be recorded, data retention, and secure storage methods. Law enforcement units are not required to store data for more than one year unless it is pertinent to ongoing legal matters. The commissioner and council are responsible for updating these guidelines as necessary and submitting them to the appropriate General Assembly committees. The act was approved on May 14, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 7-294s
JUD Joint Favorable: 7-294s
File No. 513: 7-294s
Public Act No. 24-15: 7-294s