Body Worn Cameras

Consistent with our mission to provide superior law enforcement services and to respect and safeguard the dignity and rights of all individuals, the Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD) has adopted the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs), an industry best-practice, to provide accurate information about VUPD officers’ interactions with Vanderbilt community members and others on campus not affiliated with the university.

BWCs can expedite resolution of complaints and provide opportunities for officer training and instruction.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are body worn cameras? What do they look like?

    A BWC is a small, black device clipped to a VUPD officer’s uniform, usually worn at the chest, capable of recording audio and video of all interactions the officer has with the community.

  • Who will wear the cameras?

    Beginning May 15th, 2025, VUPD will issue BWCs to its approximately 90 full-time, sworn law enforcement officers who are trained and certified by the State of Tennessee and commissioned by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

  • When will officers record?

    Video recording

    For safety and accuracy, a BWC’s video-recording function remains on and operating while an officer is on duty. A BWC starts to record video from the time it is removed from its docking station until it is returned to its dock. Officers cannot disable video recording.

    Officers will remove their BWC in private areas such as restrooms and locker rooms unless they are responding to a call for service in these locations.

    In other special circumstances and with supervisor approval, officers will be allowed to remove their camera. For example, if a victim requests the camera be removed due to the sensitive or personal nature of the crime or if the victim is a juvenile.

    Audio recording           

    Audio is recorded when an officer manually activates the BWC’s audio-recording function. Officers are required to activate the BWC’s audio-recording function whenever they are interacting with individuals in an official capacity.

    Officers are not required – but may choose – to activate the BWC’s audio-recording function for informal, non-official interactions.

  • How will Vanderbilt community members or members of the public know they are being recorded?

    BWCs are small, black devices clipped to officers’ uniforms. When the camera is activated, a red light will appear on the front of the camera.  If there’s doubt about whether the camera is on, community members are encouraged to ask the officer if the camera is activated.

  • How long are they stored?
    • Video containing evidence and/or arrests will be stored for a minimum of seven years, or as directed by the District Attorney.
    • Video containing police pursuits, police involved vehicle crashes, use of force incidents or citizen complaints will be stored for a minimum of three years.
    • All other videos will be stored for 30 days.
  • How are the recordings used?

    The BWC recordings are used primarily for:

    • Evidence or documentation of “violations of law,” meaning crimes and offenses that are prosecutable as misdemeanors or felonies in criminal courts.
    • Vanderbilt University investigations and Student Accountability proceedings if university officials request access to the recordings of the incident at issue.
    • Accountability and disciplinary proceedings for alleged officer misconduct.
    • Training purposes by Vanderbilt University Police Department. For example, when an officer is in training, recordings may be used to review how the officer interacts with community members, how the officer conducts investigations, and how the officer follows policies and procedures.
  • If I am involved in an incident, can I view the audio-video recording of an incident?

    Permission to inspect the recordings may be governed by the Tennessee Open Records Act, to the extent recordings reflect law enforcement activity. Any additional permission to inspect recordings must be given by the Vanderbilt University Chief of Police or his designee.