Florida Tech’s Department of Security will deploy body-worn cameras (BWCs) for all uniformed security officers starting in the fall as part of the department’s ongoing commitment to campus safety.
Initial rollout over the spring and summer will center on a pilot phase with a small group of experienced officers before full implementation is anticipated starting in August.
This addition enhances the Department’s mission of promoting and practicing transparency, accountability and professionalism in all interactions with the campus community.
As part of the rollout, a university policy on body-worn cameras has been developed and implemented. It outlines procedures for recording, storing, accessing and reviewing footage and offers guidelines on when generally BWC activation is required and when it is not.
Body-worn cameras, which will have a small light illuminated if they are recording, must be activated when officers are responding to a call for service “or at the initiation of any other enforcement or investigative encounter between an officer and a member of the campus community or public,” the policy states. That includes when officers are assisting drivers or issuing parking summonses and when they are responding to “civil disorder” and may be required to use “constructive authority or force.”
BWCs will not be activated in several scenarios, including in places such as restrooms, locker rooms and residence halls where there is a “reasonable expectation of privacy,” and during discussions with “privileged” individuals including attorneys, medical professionals and clergy, according to the policy.
Officers equipped with BWCs will undergo formal training in the “use, operation and legal considerations” of these devices, the policy also notes.
“We remain dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors,” said Department of Security Director Frank Iannone.
