HoustonChiefofPoliceCharlesMcClellandsupportstheuseofbodycameras,buthesaidtheyalsopresentproblems.
“Thetypeofequipment,theplacementofequipment,thedownloadingtime,andstoragespaceallofthosearesignificantchallenges.”
Forthepasttwoyears,theHoustonPoliceDepartmenthasexperimentedwithcameras,deployingabout100ofthemonofficerseachday.
ButMcClellandsaiddeployingcamerasonafewthousandofficersandthenmanagingallthevideotheyproducewillcostalotofmoney.
“Wewillbepayingofficersovertimefordoingtheirdownloadingandindexingofthesevideos,”
Andthosethosevideoscanonlyshowalimitedperspectiveofanyincident.
Thebodycamerasusedbypoliceusuallyofferawide-angleviewofwhatisinfrontofthelens,muchlikethesmallconsumercameras.
ChiefMcClellandsaidthatviewleavesalotout.
“Anofficermayturnhisorherheadandseesomething,butthevideocamerathatisinthemiddleoftheirchestispointingstraightahead.”
Mostofficerswhohavewornthecameras,hereandinothercities,areverymuchinfavorofthem.
RitaWatkins,theexecutivedirectoroftheLawEnforcementManagementInstituteofTexas,saidthereisstatewidedemandforbodycameras.
“Icantellyouthatrightnowtherearechiefswhoarebudgeting,withintheirbudgetandaskingtheircommunityleadershipforthefundstoinitiateandstartafundforthebodycameraprogram.”
Shesaidlegalexpertsalsoareconsideringhowphotosandvideostakenbyaveragecitizensshouldbehandled.
“Wealsohavethepublicthatiscapturingvideo.Sohowdotheymaintainitandwhatistheirdutyandresponsibilityformakingthatinformationavailabletolawenforcement?”
BothsheandMcClellandarealsoconcernedaboutwhathappensifavideofilebecomescorruptedordisappears.
“Thistechnologyisman-madeandatsomepointanyman-madeobjectwillmalfunction.”
hesaidsuchatechnicalglitchcouldignitediscordinacitylikeBaltimore,wheretherealreadyisdistrustofthepolice.
Healsoworriesthatroutinecommunicationbetweenofficersandcitizenswilldiminishbecauseofthecameras.
“Theofficerisrecordingthecitizenandthecitizenmaybeusinghisorhercellphonetorecordtheofficer.”
Hesaidbodycamerasofferbenefits,McClellandsaid,buttheyalsorepresentacontinuingfinancialburdenforpoliceascamerasbecomeobsoleteeveryfewyearsandmustbereplacedbynewer,betterones.
