Today, the Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) released the results of its audit examining how consistently officers in the Philadelphia Police Department’s (PPD) 22nd District use their body-worn cameras (BWCs) and follow the procedures detailed in Directive 4.21. The review identifies areas for improvement across multiple compliance categories. CPOC reviewed a random sample of incident reports from April and June of 2025 and audited 33 BWC videos across 23 qualifying incidents. While not every incident had footage available, the audit found that most officers who were on scene and equipped with cameras did not use them as outlined in PPD Directive 4.21.
“The data in the report indicates that officers in the 22nd district routinely did not activate their BWCs when required by policy. Just 28% of all incidents that required recording were captured by the officers in this sample, which is very concerning. Our findings suggest that when officers in the 22nd district activated their cameras, they operated them correctly. CPOC had the opportunity to share these results with the 22nd District and senior leadership within the department, with the expectation that they will take the necessary steps to improve on this critical aspect of the work they do,” said Senior Analyst Michael Tooley Jr, lead writer of the report.
Among the key findings:
• Of the incidents reviewed that should have had footage, video was recorded just 28% of the time.
• For incidents where there were multiple officers present, it was common that not all officers recorded.
• 88 percent of recordings were activated properly from standby mode.
• 97 percent of videos reviewed were correctly categorized according to the nature of the incident.
The breakdown of incident types where the officers did not record their encounters is included in the report. Investigate premises, which include calls for domestic incidents, dispatches for persons with a weapon, and responses to minor disturbances, are the most common incidents in which no BWC footage was present in the analysis. Recording incidents, especially those involving the public, can improve safety for both officers and civilians, support the development of clear investigative fact patterns, and strengthen public trust.
CPOC will continue to communicate with the department to determine the reasons those specific incidents were not recorded, with the overarching goal of identifying and addressing potential barriers to proper BWC usage.
To support consistent and effective BWC use, CPOC is recommending several steps for district leadership and supervisors, including:
1. The 22nd District leadership team should request district-wide training focused on educating officers on BWC procedures.
2. Reinforcing at roll call the requirement to activate BWCs for all calls for service and all interactions with the public.
3. Reminding officers to activate cameras while providing backup during calls for service.
BWC Explainer
Along with the release of the 22nd Police District’s audit, CPOC published an updated Policy and Practice Explainer of BWCs. The explainer provides details on how the cameras work and PPD policies related to camera usage and public access to recordings.
About the Citizens Police Oversight Commission
The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) is an independent civilian oversight agency designed to advance the just, transparent, and efficient administration of criminal justice in Philadelphia. CPOC is committed to conducting fair and timely investigations into police conduct, enhancing the quality of internal investigations, and fostering community engagement and trust.