Release of body cam videos varies -- from hours to months

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In Columbus, Ohio, it took five hours. In North Carolina, it requires a court order. In New York City, police can wait up to 30 days — sometimes longer. As the U.S. debates the future of policing, the policies that govern the release of body camera footage still vary widely across the nation, and pressure is building on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly, even if it means releasing videos before investigations have barely begun. “It’s all over the board. A lot of it has to do with state laws. A lot of it has to do with previous litigation,” said Geoffrey Alpert, a criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina.