Posted on 10/14/2017 10:46:33 PM PDT by Olog-hai
A small number of police departments are showing interest in a new type of video camera that can be mounted directly on officers guns, saying it may offer a better view of officer-involved shootings than body cameras. Some law enforcement officials and civil rights groups are skeptical.
Among the cons, they point out, is that gun cameras start recording only after weapons are removed from holsters and wont capture what led to officers drawing their guns, or other interactions with the public. They also say they should be used only as a complement to body cameras.
Besides the better view, supporters say the pros include lower video storage costs because gun cameras record much less often than body cameras, and a feature in some models that instantly alerts dispatchers and nearby police via wifi and Bluetooth when officers draw their weapons and may need help.
Officers arms, walls and other objects can get in the way of body cameras, as they did in the New York City Police Departments fatal shooting of Miguel Richards last month. Officers body cameras also may not be turned on, gun camera proponents say.
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Who are these infamous “civil rights groups”?
I don’t have a problem with this. Cameras on cops will only serve to expose the crooked and preserve the careers and lives of the good cops.
I’d love a gun cam... tighten up those groups.
“Cameras on cops will only serve to expose the crooked and preserve the careers and lives of the good cops.”
No matter how evil the perpetrator or what led to the shooting, in that moment he realizes he is losing, his face will look as innocent as a lamb. A gun camera video will always make the shooter of the gun look bad. This is a terrible idea. The video will have zero context and context is everything.
Except when combined with the body camera, we’ll get to see the entire incident. The main problem with body cameras at the moment is that if you draw your weapon usually the camera ends up blocked.
Not on the nightly or 24 hour news stations...
I think the objective for all this is to weight down police so they cant chase anybody. The average duty belt now has a firearm, taser, radio, baton, cuffs x 2, magazines, OC spray, flashlight, and a phone. Batman doesnt have that much on his belt.
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