UMD's Police department is testing the use of body cameras on two officers this summer.
And Police Chief Sean Huls says it's not to monitor officers as much as to gather evidence and reinforce the trust-building in the community.
Huls admits UMD is late to the game, body camera-wise, but he says the legislature didn't finalize data privacy rules - including when body camera footage can be released to the public - until last year.
Now, he says, the law says no body camera footage is public except in two instances: the person requesting it is the subject of the video; or the incident involves use of force by the officer or the discharge of a firearm, resulting in substantial bodily harm, and any court cases are completed.
