Phoenix Police to wear Hidden Cameras
As many as 50 Phoenix law enforcement officials could very well soon be using tiny covert video surveillance cameras as part of their uniform accouterment should a $500,000 grant be agreed upon in early September by a combined venture with Arizona State University and the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant is to be called The Smart Policing Initiative.
Early on this year, a preliminary study course was evaluated with 18 officers donning the small hidden spy cameras fastened to their uniform so as to maximize police transparency with the community. The three month experiment, which finished in June, resulted in 860 hours worth of video. From among the many recordings, segments of the footage will probably be used as evidence in 62 lawsuits going before the court.
The particular spy camera can be worn like a Bluetooth accessory around the ear, and may be turned on and off by a remote control about the chest. A pocket recorder, or small video monitor, is attached to the belt. Once turned on, video can't be modified or removed.
Arizona legislation requires at least one person be mindful they are being recorded, although the law is not well defined in how that is conveyed or understood, and may likely not even register dependent upon the situation or number of persons being dealt with by police officers. Through the trial period a few individuals did key in on the cameras being worn and questioned if they were being recorded.
Throughout the pilot program, Phoenix police assessed Scottsdale-based TASER International's Axon cameras, which are more transparent in their appearance than traditional covert cameras of the identical type, and come with a more expensive price tag. The price of Axon cameras are about $1,700, along with an yearly $1,200 each to store the video footage. Correspondingly, a similar wireless Bluetooth covert camera from the local security store goes for around $200. The grant does not state which make of cameras are to be , but does require the police agency to work with a research partner. In the case of Phoenix it will be A.S.U., which will collect and assess the data and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.
The "Candid-Camera" patrolman video pilot program was one of thirty four recommendations developed by a Phoenix task force last January for helping enhance relations involving the police department and the local community. The task force came into being in April, 2010, soon after a number of incidents regarding the police angered residents, including a March 2010 occurrence that saw City Councilman Michael Johnson, an Afro-American, thrown to the ground and restrained by handcuffs by a White police officer.
With the eye of "Big Brother" becoming more commonplace within our daily lives now, and technology providing a video recorder to anybody using a mobile phone, providing police officers with a wearable video recording device could be the logical next phase in the progression. Exactly how this plays out as time passes and the legal impact it could carry will be concerns that will no doubt be discussed, but for now it may grant us pause to be aware of exactly what we say and how we behave the next time we are confronted by an officer of the law.
Early on this year, a preliminary study course was evaluated with 18 officers donning the small hidden spy cameras fastened to their uniform so as to maximize police transparency with the community. The three month experiment, which finished in June, resulted in 860 hours worth of video. From among the many recordings, segments of the footage will probably be used as evidence in 62 lawsuits going before the court.
The particular spy camera can be worn like a Bluetooth accessory around the ear, and may be turned on and off by a remote control about the chest. A pocket recorder, or small video monitor, is attached to the belt. Once turned on, video can't be modified or removed.
Arizona legislation requires at least one person be mindful they are being recorded, although the law is not well defined in how that is conveyed or understood, and may likely not even register dependent upon the situation or number of persons being dealt with by police officers. Through the trial period a few individuals did key in on the cameras being worn and questioned if they were being recorded.
Throughout the pilot program, Phoenix police assessed Scottsdale-based TASER International's Axon cameras, which are more transparent in their appearance than traditional covert cameras of the identical type, and come with a more expensive price tag. The price of Axon cameras are about $1,700, along with an yearly $1,200 each to store the video footage. Correspondingly, a similar wireless Bluetooth covert camera from the local security store goes for around $200. The grant does not state which make of cameras are to be , but does require the police agency to work with a research partner. In the case of Phoenix it will be A.S.U., which will collect and assess the data and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.
The "Candid-Camera" patrolman video pilot program was one of thirty four recommendations developed by a Phoenix task force last January for helping enhance relations involving the police department and the local community. The task force came into being in April, 2010, soon after a number of incidents regarding the police angered residents, including a March 2010 occurrence that saw City Councilman Michael Johnson, an Afro-American, thrown to the ground and restrained by handcuffs by a White police officer.
With the eye of "Big Brother" becoming more commonplace within our daily lives now, and technology providing a video recorder to anybody using a mobile phone, providing police officers with a wearable video recording device could be the logical next phase in the progression. Exactly how this plays out as time passes and the legal impact it could carry will be concerns that will no doubt be discussed, but for now it may grant us pause to be aware of exactly what we say and how we behave the next time we are confronted by an officer of the law.
Source...