Ohio
$750 for body cam video? Ohio police agencies set steep prices after law change
See Ohio trooper rescue kitten from drain pipe in Columbus
Body camera footage shows the moments when an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper saved a kitten that was trapped in a drain pipe.
Some Central Ohio police agencies will now charge the public up to $750 for officer body and dash-cam footage under a new law signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in January.
The law that took effect in April gives Ohio’s law enforcement agencies discretion to charge up to $75 per hour for video records, including body camera and dashboard camera footage and surveillance video, with total fees per request capped at $750.
The law allows individual agencies to decide whether to charge fees and set their own rates. Central Ohio agencies that spoke with The Dispatch said they are still deciding whether to impose fees. Police in Grove City, Reynoldsburg and Whitehall have already set new fee schedules, charging as much as the new law allows.
Media outlets often use body camera footage to provide insight into critical incidents involving police, including shootings. Critics, including media groups and civil rights organizations, have argued that increased fees for body camera videos could hinder transparency and give policing leaders the ability to pick and choose what the public sees.
ACLU says body cam fees ‘financially impossible’
“It shouldn’t depend on how much money Ohioans have in their pocket to be able to enjoy access to public records,” Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio, said.
Daniels said the ACLU of Ohio has grave concerns about the new law, which “sets a bad precedent” and will impede access to records. He added that many police agencies will likely charge the max for records, and it will become “financially impossible” for smaller news organizations to access footage.
Body camera footage is important for the public to access because it sheds light on sometimes hotly-contested moments in which police and witnesses disagree on events, such as when officers fire their guns or are killed in the line of duty.
On the other hand, compiling the footage is expensive and time-consuming for police agencies to produce. Some portions of the videos must be redacted to comply with state laws, including limiting images of uncharged suspects and crime victims. Many police agencies receive large volumes of requests; the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office fielded 400-500 requests for videos last year, spokeswoman Tracy Whited said.
The law allows agencies to recoup pay for employees who redact and produce the videos, as well as video storage fees, redaction software costs, and other expenses.
Ohio police departments say body cam footage review takes time, money
Grove City adopted its new policy on June 13, according to a copy provided to the Dispatch. The Grove City Police Department will charge a flat $10 base fee per video record to cover costs of redaction software and video storage, with maximum fees capped at $75 per hour of footage and $750 per video.
The requester must pay the estimated fee upfront before Grove City will produce the records. For “certain critical incidents,” the Grove City police chief may choose to release footage at no cost, according to the policy.
The Reynoldsburg Police Department’s policy, adopted March 12, says it will release footage of any incident in which an officer fires a gun without charge. Other videos cost up to $75 per hour or up to $750 per request.
Requesters must pay a $75 deposit to the Reynoldsburg police before the department will begin redacting the footage.
The Whitehall Division of Police states in its fee schedule that video footage costs $75 per hour or $1.25 per minute, with a maximum fee of $750 per request.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and police in Columbus, Gahanna, Hilliard, Dublin, New Albany, Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington stated that they have not made any changes to their fee schedules. Several of those agencies said they are still reviewing the new law.
Whited said body camera footage requests make up the bulk of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office records department’s workload and have caused a significant backlog, leading the sheriff’s office to consider outsourcing some of the work to a third party.
But hiring a private company would be expensive, and the sheriff’s office would prefer to keep doing the work “in-house,” Whited added.
Whited said the unit often watches videos three times: once to check for visuals that need to be redacted, a second time to review the audio, and a third time to ensure nothing was missed. That means a half-hour of footage could take over an hour and a half to edit.
In other cases, a less complex 15-minute video might take about 20 minutes to redact one segment of footage. Most of the videos are about 30-45 minutes long.
Currently, the sheriff’s office has software that can track objects in footage that need to be redacted, like a piece of paper with a social security number or a child’s face. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, the tracking fails, and staff must redact frame by frame, Whited said.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t received any quotes for outsourcing the video redaction process, but it did request one for an AI redaction service to speed up its staff’s work. That quote came to $30,000-$35,000 for 120 hours of raw video and gave the sheriff’s office “sticker shock,” Whited said.
Setting new fees while the backlog is in place presents some challenges. The requesters already waiting on records can’t be charged, and telling new requesters they must pay fees, then informing them they must also wait 4-5 months to receive the footage “doesn’t seem like good customer service,” Whited said.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office is speaking with prosecutors and reviewing other Ohio police departments policies before coming to a decision, Whited said.
“There’s a lot of things we’re still looking at before we could implement it,” Whited said.
Columbus police spokeswoman Nicole Jaros said the division is still developing a policy in response to the new law. The division currently charges $1 per CD for records and does not typically charge for records provided in digital formats, such as email attachments.
Gahanna spokesman Dan Pearlman said the city doesn’t currently charge for video.
“We continue to research and discuss this with area agencies to see if there is a standardized approach,” Pearlman said in an email.
New Albany Police Department records supervisor Laura White said the department is considering charging fees and will likely do so.
YouTube creators, bloggers increase demand
The department doesn’t just field requests from traditional journalists or local citizens, White said. Many of the requests come from YouTube channels or other social media content creators.
Numerous YouTube channels and social media pages upload large volumes of police footage, publishing viral videos of traffic stops, shootings and embarrassing DUI arrests.
“We get inundated with requests from … YouTube and social media outlets that are looking for a wide range of information and records,” White said. “It’s very time-consuming.”
In March, the Columbus Division of Police fired Officer Spencer Badger, who runs the ‘Columbus Police Body Camera’ YouTube channel. The division said he violated policy by downloading some videos himself instead of submitting public information requests.
Daniels said the new law may have been introduced as a response to bulk requests from bloggers, YouTube channels, and other organizations that publish large amounts of videos, and he understands that those requests pose a burden.
But Daniels said those concerns could have been better addressed in other ways, like limiting the number of requests one entity could make per month. The ACLU wouldn’t be “thrilled” by that, either, he said, but it would be better than restricting access across the board.
“It’s hard to believe a compromise couldn’t be reached,” Daniels said.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio health leaders are urging people to take extra precautions when handling produce as cases of a parasitic illness causing “explosive diarrhea” are rising in the state.
There are nearly 200 cases of cyclosporiasis in Ohio, with more than 20 in Franklin County. The state sits only behind Michigan, where cases have topped a thousand.
Franklin County Medical Director Miller Sullivan said cases typically rise each summer because the parasite thrives in heat.
“If the water becomes contaminated with this organism, that’s how it gets into the food supply,” Sullivan said.
Officials have not identified the exact source of this outbreak, which is hitting states nationwide, but said the parasite is most commonly found in produce. They said simple steps when handling food can help prevent getting sick.
To help prevent the illness, Ohio Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under running water and wash your hands with soap before and after preparing food.
“Prepare your food properly,” Vanderhoff said. “If you do that, you’re going to dramatically reduce the likelihood that you might acquire this infection.”
Health officials don’t think it’s necessary to avoid fresh produce.
“Go ahead and buy them,” Sullivan said. “Especially if you buy them from a store or a local farmer’s market. It should be fine, but wash them well.”
The disease is typically not life-threatening but can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea. If left untreated, symptoms could return multiple times.
“You may begin to feel better, but then start getting sick again,” Vanderhoff said. “That’s really characteristic of this particular infection.”
Experts said to see a doctor as soon as you think you may be experiencing symptoms. It can be treated with antibiotics, which helps shorten the length of the illness, but added that prevention is the best way to stay healthy.
Where do bed bugs come from? How they get could get into your home
Does the thought of bed bugs keep you up at night? Here’s what to know.
Columbus remains one of the nation’s top cities for bed bug treatments, according to Orkin’s latest annual rankings, while Ohio continues to dominate the list more than any other state.
Orkin ranked Columbus eighth on its 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most bed bug treatments, the same position the city held last year. Cleveland ranked even higher at No. 4. Cincinnati came in at No. 15.
Overall, six Ohio cities made the Top 50, more than any other state: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton and Toledo. The rankings are based on residential and commercial bed bug treatments Orkin performed between May 2025 and May 2026.
Chicago claimed the top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Ohio continues to rank high for bed bugs
Ohio’s strong showing on the list comes as the state has repeatedly appeared near the top of national pest rankings.
A recent USA TODAY report, citing an analysis by Casino.ca, estimated Ohio has the second-highest bed bug risk for travelers in the country, behind only Michigan.
The Orkin rankings do not measure the total number of bed bugs in a city. Instead, they reflect where the company performed the greatest number of residential and commercial treatments over the past year.
Columbus has dealt with bed bug sightings before
The rankings also follow several high-profile bed bug incidents in downtown Columbus government offices.
Last fall, The Dispatch reported a bed bug was discovered inside the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s downtown office, prompting treatment of the affected area.
The Dispatch also reported that employees at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation had reported bed bug sightings, leading to inspections and pest-control efforts.
Those incidents highlighted the challenges large office buildings face when dealing with pests that can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks and luggage rather than originating inside the buildings themselves.
It’s not just bed bugs
Bed bugs aren’t the only pests putting Columbus on Orkin’s radar.
In October 2025, Orkin ranked Columbus No. 21 on its annual “Rattiest Cities” list, a slight improvement from previous years but still among the nation’s leading metro areas for rodent treatments.
Taken together, the rankings suggest central Ohio remains a busy market for pest-control companies as the city holds steady on this year’s bed bug list.
Which Ohio cities made Orkin’s 2026 list?
Among Ohio cities, the rankings were:
- Cleveland– No. 4
- Columbus– No. 8
- Cincinnati– No. 15
- Youngstown– No. 32
- Dayton– No. 38
- Toledo– No. 42
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
After years of unchecked dominance from the SEC, the Big Ten Conference cemented its place as the best in college football in the 2025-2026 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers completed a remarkable 16-0 season by winning a National Championship, beating Ohio State in the conference championship game, dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, then blowing out Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
That completed a Big Ten trifecta, with the Michigan Wolverines winning a championship in 2024, then the Buckeyes following it up by beating Notre Dame to win the title in 2025. While the SEC might have better depth overall, it’s no question that the top of the Big Ten is as good or better than anyone.
SEC, BIG TEN ARE DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THANKS TO MASSIVE ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONFERENCES
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
And a new program might be ready to take their turn at the top of the Big Ten: those same Oregon Ducks.
One of the most predictive measures of a team’s strength from year to year is how much production they return from the previous season. It makes sense; the more key players that stay with the team, the better it is for continuity and development.
The Big Ten, oddly enough, has several teams that return much of their production on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly ran the numbers, finding that teams like Maryland, Nebraska, Minnesota and UCLA all ranked in the top 10 nationally in returning value. Though given how these teams played in 2025, that’s less important. Number 12, though? The Oregon Ducks.
And that carryover production is coming from a team that lost just two games all season, both to Indiana. They handled a very good USC team, 42-27, overcame miserable conditions to outlast the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, beat the rival Washington Huskies, and most impressively, shut out an elite Texas Tech team 23-0 in the College Football Playoff. And they bring back the players responsible for 66% of their overall production, including star quarterback Dante Moore.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up prior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Just behind them at 65%? USC, heading into a pivotal season under Lincoln Riley.
Here’s where Oregon has the advantage, however. They bring that percentage back from a team that was significantly better than USC. It’s no surprise then, that per Connelly’s SP+ projections, Oregon is expected to be the No. 2 team in the country, by efficiency on offense, defense and special teams.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BIG 12 WINNER NOT NAMED TEXAS TECH OR BYU, CONSIDER THE HOUSTON COUGARS
What about the other Big Ten schools, though?
USC is the biggest wildcard. They sit at No. 13 in the SP+ projections, thanks to an elite offense and a defense that’s expected to be solid, if unspectacular. But their special teams projections are all the way down at No. 100 in the country, thanks to a series of disastrous mistakes in 2025. Special teams, though, should be the easiest area to improve upon. So if the Trojans can make some adjustments, they could exceed the eight game win expectancy.
Ohio State and Indiana, the two most recent champions, have a bit of a tougher hill to climb, though their roster composition is far from disastrous. The Buckeyes bring back 60% of their production, while Indiana is at 56%, even with several huge departures. That ranks at No. 31 and No. 52, respectively. Important, but not enough to push either team out of the top 5 in the national projections. And Ohio State sits at No. 1, thanks to consistently elite recruiting and key players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
But if there is an upset brewing at the top of the conference, Oregon might be the place to look. The question then becomes, can they put it all together against a difficult schedule? The Ducks play USC on the road, host Nebraska, travel to Illinois, play Ohio State on the road, host Michigan and have their rivalry game against Washington at Autzen.
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It won’t be easy, but don’t be surprised if at the end of the season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks are right back in the mix.
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