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Council advances police video redaction policy with hourly fee cap; chief cites legal limits on release
Summary
The council advanced Ordinance 2026-3 (second reading) proposing a police video/audio redaction fee of $75 per hour, up to $750 per incident, while exempting local residents and local media from charges and noting legal requirements (juvenile protections, victims) that still require redaction.
Huron's police chief told council on March 24 that a proposed ordinance would establish a video and audio redaction policy to govern public-records requests related to bodyworn and in-car cameras.
Chief Graham said the cost of redaction can be significant: "We're looking at $75 an hour and a maximum of $750 per incident," he said, and cited applicable public‑records authority for charging for extensive redaction work. He added the department commonly receives requests from commercial operators and individuals seeking footage and said the policy would require the requester to accept a quote and pay an invoice before the city completes the redaction and releases records.
Council asked whether the department could instead release unredacted footage to save time and money; the chief said state and federal constraints — such as juvenile records, victim protections and personally identifying information like Social Security numbers — make wholesale unredacted release unlawful in many cases. He also said the department would not charge local residents or local media for routine requests, though attorneys seeking records for clients or commercial requesters would be invoiced under the new protocol. The ordinance was on its second reading at the March 24 meeting.
