ATF agents first in Justice Department to wear body cameras

The Justice Department has identified the first set of federal agents to wear body cameras under a new policy that reversed a years-long ban, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday.

Last October, the Justice Department formalized a new policy to allow local officers to wear body cameras during joint operations, which had reversed a policy that had strained its relationship with some law enforcement agencies. The issue had previously hit such a boiling point that Atlanta’s police chief had withdrawn city police officers from federal task forces over the issue. But even as the Justice Department made these major policy shifts to allow the use of a tool that has been common for years with most local police agencies, there has still been confusion about the process for local task force officers -- and the length of time it will take to actually allow them to be worn in the field.