At Case Western Reserve University, your safety is our highest priority. Part of providing a safe environment is creating a space in which all members of our community feel protected and welcome.
To enhance our mission of providing a safe, resilient and inclusive environment for all, the Case Western Reserve University Division of Public Safety has purchased body cameras for uniformed police officers, who will wear them while performing their official duties.
By using these cameras, we aim to provide accurate reflections of university police officers' interactions with members of the university community, as well as others not affiliated with the university who are on campus. The cameras also provide opportunities for officer training and instruction.
For safety and accuracy, the cameras must remain on and operating while the officers are on duty. While officers may not comply with requests to turn off the body cameras, they are permitted to cover the lens briefly (with audio recording continuing) in instances where valid privacy concerns exist.
Recordings from CWRU police body cameras may be released when consistent with Ohio Public Records Law (149.43). The recordings are not considered educational records for purposes of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
However, if the CWRU Division of Public Safety provides a copy of the video recording to another unit within the university (for example, to Student Conduct and Community Standards for use in a student disciplinary matter), then the copy of the video may become a FERPA record.