Philadelphia Police Demonstrate Body Worn Cameras For Media By - TopicsExpress



          

Philadelphia Police Demonstrate Body Worn Cameras For Media By Bob Stewart Police officers have few body cameras and even fewer answers– so far. Officers from the nearby 22nd Police District demonstrated their new body cameras for the media. There are six models being tested. Each one will be evaluated over the next few months. Commissioner Ramsey plans to make a decision by May. “We chose the 22nd District because it is one of our busiest districts,” Ramsey said. “Whatever issues may come up as a result of having body-worn cameras we’ll find out pretty quickly here.” The police department’s body-camera pilot program began December 1. Thirty officers and one sergeant volunteered to wear them. “There are probably a lot of questions you have that quite frankly we don’t have answers for,” Ramsey said. Costs and logistics remain major factors. The cameras range in price from $300 to $1000. Each manufacturer uses a proprietary software for file storage so the department will likely choose one supplier. Lieutenant Thomas McLean said the picture and audio quality falls below the level of the average smartphone but manufacturers seem to improve every six months or so. The officers have questions too. The officers not yet wearing camera ask the volunteers about the situation. “They’re asking me the same questions you’re asking me,” said Officer Lisa Figueroa. “Is it on the whole tour? How often are you turning your cameras on? They’re a little reluctant themselves.” Ramsey said more than just costs will be evaluated. Comfort, ease of use, and reliability also factor in. “We’re all assigned a camera for 30 days,” Figueroa said. “The one ... I [had was] not working properly.” She was not sure which brand camera malfunctioned. Figueroa’s replacement was a large model from Wolfcom. She fastened it to the top of her bullet-proof vest. Positioning it there prevents her from bundling up in the cold. “If I have in on my shoulder, it’s [only secured by] a clip,” Figueroa said. “If I’m running after someone, if I’m struggling with someone, if someone grabs me ... it has an opportunity to fall.” Ultimately, no matter which camera the city chooses, Ramsey says it will increase information on an incident. “A lot of times, when you look at these YouTube things, what you’re seeing is at a certain point in time when it’s picked up [by a bystander],” Ramsey said. “You don’t see what led up to the incident. This will give you a more complete record of what took place.” In terms of legal issues and whether evidence gathered by the video will be admissible in court, Ramsey had a simple answer. “I’m not a lawyer.” How do you feel about use of body cameras on Philadelphia Police Officers?
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 16:21:00 +0000

Trending Topics



Recently Viewed Topics




© 2015