Key Questions Linger as Lawmakers Prepare Body Camera Debate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota lawmakers aren't finding easy answers as they try to hammer out rules for police wearing body cameras next year.

The small recording devices are already in use in some cities across Minnesota. But those police departments set their own rules for how long the video footage is stored. A legislative effort to set guidelines in state law stalled last spring.

A panel of lawmakers studying body cameras found more questions than solutions during a Tuesday meeting. The Legislative Commission on Data Practices is wrestling with what footage should be kept private, footage retention times and whether police should request permission before turning on body cameras in a private home.

Maplewood police Chief Paul Schnell says many departments are waiting to deploy the technology until the state passes a law.