DEA stops using body cams to be 'consistent' with Trump's executive order; sends email to staff

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) may have quietly ended its body camera program, a report claims. This move helped the law enforcement agency align with a recent executive order from US President Donald Trump. This change was reportedly communicated to staff via an internal email from DEA headquarters sent last month and has not been publicly announced by the agency yet. According to the email (seen by ProPublica), links to body camera policy pages on the DEA’s official website have been broken since then, suggesting that the program’s infrastructure has been deactivated. The email also informed employees that the decision was made to remain “consistent” with the latest executive order, which revoked a 2022 requirement for all federal law enforcement agents to use body-worn cameras.As per the report, the DEA declined to address inquiries about ending the camera program, stating that it “does not comment on tools and techniques.” The report also cited a former federal prosecutor who has warned that removing the cameras could complicate operations for DEA agents. On the other hand, Reuters linked the change as part of broader budget cuts for law enforcement agencies in a separate report.However, at least two other Justice Department (DoJ) agencies—the US Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—continue to require body cameras, the report cited their spokesperson for the same. Meanwhile, the FBI has also redirected questions about its policy to the DoJ and declined to comment.The DoJ mandated body-worn cameras for its federal agents following the George Floyd protests in 2021. Later on, in 2022, then-President Joe Biden mandated that all federal law enforcement officers be equipped with body cameras. That requirement was revoked in January by the Trump administration, which also changed nearly 100 other directives deemed “harmful.”Soon after, in February, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eliminated its camera program, and footage from subsequent operations shows agents making arrests without visible recording devices.A 2022 DoJ Office of Inspector General report described the cameras as a way to boost accountability and public trust. Research by the Police Executive Research Forum indicated that departments using body cameras see fewer complaints against officers, though it remains unclear whether this reflects better officer behaviour or fewer frivolous claims.The DoJ invested heavily in the initiative, awarding Axon a $30.4 million contract in 2021 for cameras and evidence-management software. Despite the contract remaining active, only about one-sixth of its value has been disbursed so far.A DEA policy issued in December 2022 required agents to activate cameras only during planned arrests or warrant-based searches within the US. Videos had to be uploaded within 72 hours or immediately if any officer got involved in a shooting and could be used in internal investigations. The agency’s fiscal 2025 budget request included $15.8 million and funding for 69 staff positions to roll out body cameras nationwide in phases, the report added.