Minneapolis cops can't turn off body cam

Kids pose for a photo in front of a makeshift memorial to mark George Floyd`s 47th birthday in Minneapolis. File pic/AFP

The Minneapolis mayor and police chief said on Monday that officers will no longer be allowed to turn off their body cameras to talk privately when they respond to calls, one of several changes implemented following George Floyd's death in police custody.

The new policy outlined by Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo states that although officers cannot deactivate their cameras while an event is in progress, conversations about performance or tactics can still be edited out prior to public release of any video.

"We've seen as a community and as a police force, body camera footage increasingly plays a crucial role in understanding critical events in our community," Arradondo said.

Floyd, who was Black and handcuffed, died on May 25 after Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against his neck as Floyd said he couldn't breathe. Floyd's death set off protests in the US and around the world calling for police reforms.

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