Office of Information Practices

U Memo 25-17
April 23, 2025
Records Related to BWC Recordings
Maui Police Department

Requester asked whether the Maui Police Department (MPD) properly redacted two police officers’ body worn camera (BWC) recordings from an investigation of another MPD officer’s (Officer) death.

OIP found that, because the Officer’s death was recent, he continued to have a significant reputational privacy interest in the contents of the BWC footage, and his privacy interest was not outweighed by the public’s substantial interest in disclosure of the results of a police investigation.  OIP also found that the Officer’s surviving family members had significant privacy interests in the BWC footage of the interior of their home that was also not outweighed by the public interest in disclosure.  Although MPD disclosed some footage of the Officer’s home interior to Requester in one of the MPD officer’s BWC recording, OIP found that the inconsistent disclosures did not waive Officer’s or surviving family members’ privacy interests.

OIP also found that information identifying a witness and bystanders carried significant privacy interests that were not outweighed by the public interest in disclosure.  OIP therefore concluded that MPD’s redactions in the recordings were proper.