Taser International Tests New Cop-Cameras

In the latest effort to get cops equipped with cameras, Taser International is sending out test models of a new wearable cam. The company hopes it will be an easy sell as they have several cases where such cameras ultimately cleared officers of wrongdoing. They also hope they can save face considering their Taser weapons have been nothing short of controversial in recent years.

Many departments are testing cop cameras, but the Taser cameras are slightly different. They are about the size of a cigar stub and can be attached to sunglasses or a lapel. Also, unlike other camera companies, Taser is offering their cameras connected to cloud technology, meaning no additional IT professionals or personnel will be required to operate the new equipment or handle the footage.

The cameras will cost departments $1,000, and the cloud services will be offered on a sliding scale depending on the amount of data used and customer support. Depending on the size of the force, it could cost anywhere from $1,000 to a “few hundred thousand for a larger force,” according to the New York Times.

Something else makes Taser’s cameras a bit different, however. While most cameras operate nonstop when an officer is on duty or when an officer elects to turn it on, the Taser cameras will come on and start recording the moment an officer draws his weapon. Though this ensures the camera is rolling during the tensest moments of an encounter, it could also miss the crucial happenings that lead up to the weapon being drawn.

Taser’s co-founder and chief executive Rick Smith says, “Police spend $2 billion to $2.5 billion a year paying off complaints about brutality. Plus, people plead out when there is a video.”

Those are good selling points for police agencies, but it seems the money spent on such cameras may be better spent on units that begin recording the moment an encounter occurs, not the moment a weapon is drawn.

What happens that causes an officer to draw a weapon is often more crucial than what occurs after, in determining justification for deadly force. Without such evidence, we are once again forced to rely on the words of the officer versus the words of the citizen, if they survived the encounter.

Cameras in policing are a hot topic, not just because cops are testing out new cameras, but because the people are recording as well. Police and citizen privacy rights are a top concern whenever cameras come into play. Privacy issues aside, however, it seems such cameras provide accountability on both sides of the fence and could potentially have a dramatic impact on police relations.

Not all criminal cases are fortunate enough to have camera footage as evidence, but the footage that does exist will always play an important role in any criminal charge. Whether you are caught on camera committing an offense, or arrested for videotaping an officer, what’s on that film could be crucial.

 

About David Matson