SUMMARY:
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) is conducting a pilot program to determine the benefits, feasibility, and cost of deploying a body worn police camera system for patrol officers.
BACKGROUND:
SAPD has installed mobile video and voice recording equipment (COBAN) in 664 patrol vehicles and will complete installation in the remaining 27 this spring, to gather video evidence on offenders as well as improve officer safety and accountability. The San Antonio Airport Police has already conducted a successful pilot and will begin using body worn cameras unit wide by spring 2014.
Body worn cameras are a relatively new development in policing and the subject of much interest in the law enforcement and civil liberties communities. Fort Worth has completed testing and has deployed 200 units to supplement their in-car video. Houston has completed testing with 100 units and is considering replacing in-car video with body worn cameras. Several other cities are still testing the technology, including: Austin, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Corpus Christi, Dallas, and El Paso.
Proponents of these cameras argue that recording police interactions with citizens may help protect police departments from spurious lawsuits, protect citizens from police misconduct, and provide evidentiary support in criminal cases.
However, civil rights groups and legal experts have raised some concerns about this technology. The American Civil Liberties Union issued a brief outlining its concerns about data retention and security, privacy concerns, and the lack of a model policy regulating use of the technology.
PILOT:
SAPD will test six different models of body worn cameras (150 units - 25 units per model) for six months starting in March 2014. The equipment will be tested by volunteers from the Downtown Foot/Bike Unit and Patrol Units across the City. The pilot will be designed to gather data on the technology's effects on citizen and police behavior/accountability, evidentiary value, operation feasibility, program costs, compatibility with COBAN, and other factors.
During this pilot, SAPD staff will continue to monitor the results of other cities' pilots, and collaborate with the Police Executive Research Forum to develop best practices and a model policy. Once field testing is complete, SAPD staff will study the results and prepare recommendations.
COSTS:
The Department has worked with vendors to acquire testing units at no cost and will work with ITSD to minimize any additional costs associated with the pilot, which will be taken from current operating funds.
CONCLUSION:
Both the SAPD Labor Relations Committee and the San Antonio Police Officers' Association will assist in the development and review of the pilot and make a recommendation to the Chief of Police regarding the feasibility of using the equipment within the department, what cameras should be used, and timeline for deployment within the Department. SAPD will report the results of the pilot program during a City Council B Session in December 2014.