Sgt. Todd Melzer, Officer in Charge of Cleveland police department's Mobile Support Unit, demonstrates the body camera. The cameras are currently

Ohio lawmakers pass surprise law letting police charge public up to $75 per hour for body cam videos

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2024-12-21 15:00:04

Sgt. Todd Melzer, Officer in Charge of Cleveland police department's Mobile Support Unit, demonstrates the body camera. The cameras are currently being used in the 4th District and will soon be used city wide. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. (Dave Andersen/Cleveland.com)The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- First Amendment and government transparency advocates said they were blindsided by a law the Ohio Legislature passed in the early morning hours Thursday that lets police departments make it harder for the public to keep tabs on them.

An amendment to the state’s sunshine laws that was slipped into the 441-page bill -- introduced at 1:15 a.m. and passed an hour later -- would give state and local law enforcement departments the power to charge up to $75 for each hour of video released in response to a public records request.

The proposal, which is not mandatory, would cap the charge at $750 per request for copies of records that most departments currently provide for little to no cost.

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