Stutsman County police face surge in body camera records requests

Jamestown police are fielding a sharp rise in body-camera and dash-camera records requests. Chief Scott Edinger told the Jamestown Police and Fire Committee the department received 15 video requests in about two weeks. Many are coming from YouTube channels, though the department cannot always tell who is behind a business name or online identity.

Stutsman County State’s Attorney Fritz Fremgen has seen more requests for guidance from the county’s Emergency Management office, and the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office asked for advice on handling two open records requests for video footage.

Officers generally support body cameras because the footage gives the department a record when complaints are made. Raw video often cannot be released because state law requires redaction of confidential material, including juvenile footage, private locations, names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other exempt information. Clerical staff must review the material carefully before anything is released, and the department could use a full-time employee just to handle the requests.

The Stutsman County Law Enforcement Center at 205 6th Street SE in Jamestown houses the Jamestown Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Emergency Management, Municipal Court, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the communications center.

Under North Dakota Attorney General guidance, body-camera images taken in a private place are exempt from release, and law-enforcement records may shield personal information such as a home street address, date of birth and medical information. The Attorney General’s office issued an opinion in March 2026 involving a Grand Forks Police Department body-camera records dispute.

Jamestown first adopted body cameras for uniformed officers in fall 2015 after City Council approval. Stutsman County is the state’s second-largest county by area at 2,298 square miles and has 21,593 residents.