US EditionThe DEA abandons bodycams after only four years
- The Drug Enforcement Administration ended its body-worn camera program effective April 1, 2025, announced internally via email without a public statement.
- This change followed a Trump executive order that rescinded a 2022 Biden-era mandate requiring all federal agents to use body cameras.
- The program began in 2021 with a $30.4 million contract with Axon amid DOJ efforts to improve law enforcement accountability after George Floyd's death.
- Former U.S. Attorney David DeVillers said 95% of bodycam footage reviewed absolves officers, while advocates see cameras as vital for transparency and officer protection.
- DEA’s termination contrasts with other federal agencies that maintain camera use, raising concerns it may reduce agent accountability and hinder operations.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The DEA abandons bodycams after only four years
"We welcome the addition of body-worn cameras and appreciate the enhanced transparency and assurance they provide," a then-DEA official wrote in a 2021 press release. So much for that. ProPublica published an investigative report on Tuesday that details how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the Trump administration has abandoned its bodycam program. The DEA announced the change internally through an email, viewed by ProPublica. How…
DEA once touted body cams for 'enhanced transparency.' Now the agency is abandoning them
The DEA Once Touted Body Cameras for Their “Enhanced Transparency.” Now the Agency Is Abandoning Them.by Mario ArizaProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.The Drug Enforcement Administration h...
ProPublica
Activist PostThe DEA Once Touted Body Cameras for Their “Enhanced Transparency.” Now the Agency Is Abandoning Them.
An internal email obtained by ProPublica said the agency made the change to be “consistent” with a Trump executive order. But at least two other federal law enforcement agencies are still requiring body cameras.
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