At a recent Indianapolis City‑County Council budget hearing, IMPD Chief Tanya Terry outlined a series of reforms aimed at tightening oversight of the department’s Flock body‑camera system. The new measures include daily audits of officer access, permanent retention of search histories, and a draft policy that will be elevated from a standard operating procedure to a General Order.
Daily audits replace spot checks
Previously, the department relied on periodic spot checks to monitor how officers accessed Flock footage. Terry said that approach “was not a sufficient level of auditing and oversight.” Under the new protocol, auditors will review every officer’s activity each day, ensuring that any questionable access is identified promptly.
Permanent search‑history logs
Flock cameras capture license plates and vehicle information, and the video files are retained for 30 days. While the video itself is deleted after that period, the system’s search history will now be kept permanently. This permanent log allows IMPD to investigate any suspicion of misuse by tracing exactly what was searched and when.
AI‑assisted auditing tool
Flock recently released an AI‑assisted auditing tool, and IMPD plans to incorporate it into its daily review process. The technology flags irregular patterns of access, helping auditors focus on the most concerning cases.
Policy moved to General Order for transparency
Chief Terry also announced that the department’s Flock policy will be moved from a standard operating procedure to a General Order. The change is intended to make the policy more transparent and to place it before the department’s General Orders Board, which includes community members. By involving citizens directly in the oversight process, IMPD hopes to build public trust and demonstrate accountability.
Community involvement and next steps
“If there’s any suspicion of misuse, we will investigate that misuse or potential misuse to verify whether it was misuse and then take action accordingly,” Terry said. The General Orders Board will review the draft policy in the coming weeks, and community representatives will have the opportunity to provide input before the policy is finalized.
These steps come as part of a broader effort by the Indianapolis City‑County Council to ensure that law‑enforcement technology is used responsibly and that citizens’ privacy rights are protected. The council’s budget hearing also covered other public‑safety initiatives, but the Flock oversight reforms were highlighted as a key example of proactive governance.
What this means for Indianapolis residents
For everyday Indy citizens, the changes mean greater assurance that body‑camera footage will be accessed only for legitimate law‑enforcement purposes. The permanent search‑history log provides a clear audit trail, and the involvement of community members in policy review offers an additional layer of oversight.
Chief Terry concluded by emphasizing the department’s commitment to transparency: “We are taking these steps to protect both the public and our officers, ensuring that the tools we use serve the community responsibly.”
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
