Brooklyn Park Police Body-Camera Audit Finds One Recording Was Deleted Earlier Than State Law Allows

BROOKLYN PARK, MN (September 14, 2026). An independent audit of the Brooklyn Park Police Department’s body-camera program found the department generally complied with Minnesota law, but identified one recording that was deleted before the state’s minimum retention period had expired.

The audit, conducted August 5 by Lynn Lembcke Consulting, examined the department’s handling of body-camera recordings between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2026. Its findings were scheduled to be presented to the Brooklyn Park City Council during its regular meeting Monday evening.

According to the report, one recording containing locker-room video was deleted in fewer than the 90 days required by Minnesota law. The audit classified the early deletion as a discrepancy.

All other records examined by the auditor were either retained or deleted in accordance with the applicable records-retention schedule, the report said.

The audit does not explain why the locker-room recording was deleted early, what the recording showed, whether the deletion resulted from human error or an automated setting, or whether the department has taken corrective action to prevent a similar occurrence. It also does not identify the date of the recording or the officer associated with it.

Apart from that incident, the audit reported no discrepancies across the other areas examined, including the classification of body-camera data, access by people recorded in the footage, officers’ use of department-issued cameras, internal authorization to view recordings, data sharing with other agencies, cloud-storage security and the department’s written body-camera policy.

Minnesota law requires law-enforcement agencies that use portable recording systems to undergo independent audits at least once every two years. The reviews examine whether agencies are collecting, storing, accessing, sharing and destroying body-camera data in accordance with state requirements.

Brooklyn Park employs 109 licensed peace officers and maintains an inventory of 129 Axon body cameras, according to the report. Recordings and related information are stored through Evidence.com, Axon’s cloud-based evidence-management platform.

The department’s policy requires officers to test their cameras at the beginning of each shift, report damaged or malfunctioning equipment and, when possible, obtain a functioning replacement. Officers are required to wear the camera on their outermost garment at or above the waist.

As part of the audit, randomly selected work dates and calls for service were compared with records in Evidence.com. The review found that officers were deploying, wearing and activating their cameras. Quarterly recording totals also indicated that body-camera data were being collected consistently.

Sergeants conduct monthly random reviews of recordings to determine whether officers are using the cameras properly and assigning the correct categories to the footage. Those categories determine how long each recording must be retained.

The department follows the General Records Retention Schedule for Minnesota Cities, along with retention periods assigned within Evidence.com. When a recording reaches its scheduled deletion date, the video is automatically removed, while metadata and audit-trail information remain available.

The audit found that one person asked the department to preserve body-camera footage beyond its normal retention period during the two-year review window. The department sent that person a letter when the additional 180-day preservation period was approaching expiration.

People recorded in body-camera footage may request access through Brooklyn Park’s online JustFOIA system or by submitting the department’s Body Camera Video Request Form.

The report said the department received no requests from data subjects to view footage during the audit period, but it received and fulfilled requests for copies. When other people appearing in the recordings had not consented to disclosure, their identifying information was redacted. The department retained both the original recording and the redacted copy.

The auditor also examined who could access recordings inside the department. Nonpublic footage was limited to employees whose assignments required access, with permissions controlled through staff roles in Evidence.com. Accounts were password-protected and required two-factor authentication.

The deputy police chief and a police technology specialist administer those permissions. Evidence.com records each user’s access in an audit trail, and department policy permits employees to access recordings only for legitimate work-related purposes.

The report noted that unauthorized access or release could result in departmental discipline and possible criminal penalties under Minnesota law.

Brooklyn Park reported no body-camera data security breaches during the audit period. The department also underwent a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Criminal Justice Information Services security audit in September 2025.

The audit found that Brooklyn Park’s procedures for sharing nonpublic recordings with other law-enforcement agencies and government entities complied with state requirements. Agencies seeking footage must make a written request and identify a legitimate law-enforcement purpose. The sharing is documented in Evidence.com and the department’s records-management system.

The auditor also reviewed whether Brooklyn Park provided the public with an opportunity to comment before implementing its body-camera program. The department held community meetings on December 15, 2015, and January 5, 2016, followed by a City Council public hearing on February 8, 2016.

Brooklyn Park’s current body-camera policy was found to include all minimum provisions required under Minnesota Statutes. The policy is publicly available on the Police Department’s website.

Lynn Lembcke Consulting dated the final report August 24 and said its findings were impartial and based on the information and documentation examined.

The City Council agenda describes Monday’s appearance as a presentation of the audit results. It does not call for the council to approve the report or take formal action.

The audit’s overall findings indicate broad compliance by the department, but the premature deletion leaves unanswered questions about how the retention failure occurred and what safeguards, if any, have since been put in place.

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