Detroit police now required to release video and audio of incidents involving great bodily harm

(FOX 2) - Any footage taken from body or dashboard cameras owned by police must be released within 30 days if an incident involving a Detroit officer results in great bodily harm.

The Detroit council approved the new ordinance during their meeting on Tuesday, outlining when footage must be released to the public and what exceptions can prevent police publishing video.

Big picture view:

During their weekly meeting, the city council passed a measure that sets a 30-day deadline for the release of incident footage from police where an interaction resulted in great bodily harm.

The ordinance, sponsored by councilmember Angela Whitfield Calloway, orders all relevant video and audio recordings be uploaded to an online portable that the public can access.

The measure passed 8-1 on Tuesday.

"This ordinance brings true accountability and transparency to our city," Whitfield Calloway said in a statement. "Families and loved ones impacted by police misconduct or brutality deserve peace of mind, and this law ensures they and the public can see that justice is being served."

Dig deeper:

Under the ordinance, footage that must be released pertains to all body-worn and vehicle dashboard video from an incident where someone suffers a serious injury that requires treatment at a hospital.

Once released, the city will make "every effort to notify individuals depicted in the footage" before the release. That includes city employees.

There are exceptions to the release of incident footage built into the ordinance.

Requests to delay the release of footage can come from federal, state, county, or local police with jurisdiction over the incident. If that's the case, the city can hold off for 30 more days.

A county prosecutor can also delay the release until a charging decision is made.

Reasons to delay the footage include: