Patrol officers to record every interaction with public amid claims department using force too often during arrests
[guardian.co.uk] Police in California are testing head-mounted cameras to record interactions with the public. The
test, involving 18 patrol officers, comes as citizens‘ groups criticise
the department for too often using force during arrests. Officers will turn on the cameras every time they talk to anyone. The recordings will be downloaded after every shift.
The cameras are the size of a Bluetooth mobile phone earpiece and attach by a headband above the ear.
San
Jose is the first big US city to try the devices, made by Arizona-based
Taser International, which is paying for the experiment. Each kit costs
$1,700 (£1,000), plus a $99 per officer monthly fee. That’s $4m million
department-wide each year.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/20/california-police-head-cameras
