I am not sure whats going on in NC, but it seems things are going backwards instead of forwards.
NC has had a number of high profile cases involving officers. What do they have to hide. We must remember bodycams most often protect the good officers. This certainly will not engender good community relations, thats for sure.
http://courier-tribune.com/news/north-carolina/new-police-body-camera-law-keeps-nc-citizens-dark
A little more detail: http://www.politifact.com/north-carolina/statements/2016/jul/01/aclu-north-carolina/aclu-north-carolina-police-will-have-significant-p/
It is not good, but the previous situation was not good either, since some police departments made the body camera videos as part of personnel records that are very difficult to access.
Police and many legislatures have been anti-video for a really long time. Some states even passed laws making it illegal to videotape police, even while standing on your own property. I believe those may have been overturned in court, but am not really sure.
As the saying goes, “the optics are not good”. Hiding video evidence seems to always give the impression that the blue wall is up, for no reason other than to protect bad cops from their own bad actions. True or not, that’s just the impression secrecy gives. It just ends up making them look bad, and inflaming anti-cop sentiment.