Fort Worth Tx police using body cameras

Hundreds of Fort Worth police officers will soon be equipped with body cameras.

The lipstick-sized cameras record sound and video, documenting the officer's point of view. Officers activate the cameras, but that's where their control ends.

"The officer has no way to delete that video, they have no way to edit the video and they don't get to choose which videos they upload or which ones they don't," Sergeant Scott Sikes, Fort Worth Police Department, said. "That gives a true and accurate representation of the scene at the time"

This is a camera mounted on glasses and they are using a samsung galaxy phone to be place overhead to view what is happening.

Not sure how to think about this. Could be a good thing if the upper brass aren't corrupt.
There was a police killing of a man in FW where they went to the wrong address and the cop's story was different than the family. Would if have helped in that case? Police wouldn't comment on ongoing investigations but it may well have prompted to move to purchase $670K worth of additional cameras...from seized funds. And such as this is why we still have a war on drugs as opposed tothe Neatherlands ATS thread . Apparently this is in use in many area's.

source to story

It's a good start.

I still want that 360 degrees quality sound and picture cameras mounted on patrol cars.

Peace

I remember several years ago that one of the suburbs around Fort Worth started something similar, but I think the cameras where on their badge/name tag.

I think this could be a good development, assuming that the video actually "survives" instances where it should be used.

reply to post by riddle6


They mentioned North Richland Hills had use cameras clipped to their shirt. You slide up a cover and the camera can't be turned off.

This seems a good idea. That said and being a big fan of police accountability this didn't mention if the camera could be turned off when need or desired. If it can then it sort of defeats the purpose. If it can't, well let's just say there are some reasons Google glasses are getting banned from places (like restrooms.)

reply to post by jam321


Here in Cleveland officers are going to begin wearing body cameras. As far as 360 degree cameras, Ford has just designed a system for their Taurus police vehicles that places cameras and sensors on the vehicle that alerts and allows the officer in the vehicle to see anyone approaching. The video from the cameras is fed to the officers rearview mirror, much like a backup camera.

bigstory.ap.org...

reply to post by liveandlearn


These are already in use in some departments. There was a TV show on some time back that dealt with a Department in Minnesota if I remember right. It used the dash and body cams as opposed to the COPS style tv show.

California Law Enforcement has been testing the Body cams for a while. They are also testing cams that go on their duty weapons, however im not sure how that is working out.

Tasers also have audio / video recording in addition to secured methods to retrieve the data from the Tasers to make it admissible in court in some states. So long as the cams are good enough to record without interfering with whats going on im all for it.

People, not all, have this vision of what they think law enforcement is and how it is suppose to work while ignoring any and all parts they don't understand or agree with. Just bear in mind that the camera does not always catch the entire story.

With that being said im all about technology that protects the officers from baseless claims while at the same time protecting the citizens from idiot cops.