DEPARTMENT: Police
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Police Body Worn Cameras
SUMMARY:
Staff briefing regarding the body worn camera pilot program for the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On January 15, 2014, SAPD presented to the Governance Committee information regarding a proposal for a body worn camera pilot program, as well as current technology the department has in place. The Department also briefed the Public Safety Committee about the program during the February meeting.
SAPD has installed mobile video and voice recording equipment (COBAN) in 664 patrol vehicles and will complete installation in the remaining 27 this spring. This equipment has the capability to gather video evidence on offenders as well as improve officer safety and accountability. The San Antonio Airport Police has already conducted a successful body worn camera pilot and will begin using the 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 con...
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