05-03-2015, 07:47 PM
This piece covers some of the cost and logistical issues that Maggot and Jimbone and I were discussing in the Hlllary Clinton thread (she's using police body cam requirements as part of her campaign platform).
A large pilot program is currently underway in Midwest Spy's neck of the woods.
Snip:
The Department of Justice announced a $20 million pilot program for body-worn cameras at police departments around the country. In the wake of incidents where black men have died at the hands of police officers, officials are adding the cameras to increase transparency and to protect their officers. Minneapolis has already invested more than $1 million in its pilot program. But implementing this kind of program isn't as simple as hitting the record button.
Officer Brandon Bartholomew is one of 36 officers testing cameras for the Minneapolis Police Department.
"You really become familiar and comfortable with the camera being there and I think the training is really on the job," he said.
As many as 4,000 police departments nationwide are using body cameras. While studies show the cameras can reduce excessive force, they also present a new set of challenges.
"Right now, Minnesota as a state is...deciding what state law is going to be as far as when you can turn these cameras on and off, how long you have to keep the video, who has access to it, so there's a lot of things still up in the air," said Minneapolis Police Department Deputy Chief Travis Glampe. A single crime could result in hours of video, he added. "If you have 14 responding officers show up for a homicide, their video, no matter how little evidence or how much evidence it contains, has to be kept indefinitely."
The Minneapolis Police Department says it will store all body camera video for a minimum of one year at a cost of at $300,000 annually. Cost isn't the only issue--retaining video for that long raises privacy concerns.
"Every time we have a request for the videotape, is the video public or not public, those are discussions we continue to have," said Minneapolis Police chief Janeé Harteau.
Full piece: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-body-...hallenges/
A large pilot program is currently underway in Midwest Spy's neck of the woods.
Snip:
The Department of Justice announced a $20 million pilot program for body-worn cameras at police departments around the country. In the wake of incidents where black men have died at the hands of police officers, officials are adding the cameras to increase transparency and to protect their officers. Minneapolis has already invested more than $1 million in its pilot program. But implementing this kind of program isn't as simple as hitting the record button.
Officer Brandon Bartholomew is one of 36 officers testing cameras for the Minneapolis Police Department.
"You really become familiar and comfortable with the camera being there and I think the training is really on the job," he said.
As many as 4,000 police departments nationwide are using body cameras. While studies show the cameras can reduce excessive force, they also present a new set of challenges.
"Right now, Minnesota as a state is...deciding what state law is going to be as far as when you can turn these cameras on and off, how long you have to keep the video, who has access to it, so there's a lot of things still up in the air," said Minneapolis Police Department Deputy Chief Travis Glampe. A single crime could result in hours of video, he added. "If you have 14 responding officers show up for a homicide, their video, no matter how little evidence or how much evidence it contains, has to be kept indefinitely."
The Minneapolis Police Department says it will store all body camera video for a minimum of one year at a cost of at $300,000 annually. Cost isn't the only issue--retaining video for that long raises privacy concerns.
"Every time we have a request for the videotape, is the video public or not public, those are discussions we continue to have," said Minneapolis Police chief Janeé Harteau.
Full piece: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-body-...hallenges/