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Calif. city's police to wear head-mounted cameras

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southwestforests
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20 Dec 2009, 8:46 am

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_california_police_cameras

Quote:
Calif. city's police to wear head-mounted cameras
Associated Press

Sat Dec 19, 10:49 pm ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose police are testing head-mounted cameras to record interactions with the public.

The test using 18 patrol officers comes as citizens' groups criticize the department for too often using force during arrests.

Officers are to turn on the cameras every time they talk with anyone. They download the recordings after every shift.

The cameras are the size of a Bluetooth cell phone earpieces and attach by a headband above the ear.

San Jose is the first major American city to try the devices, made by Arizona-based Taser International. Taser is paying for the experiment, but the price could be high if San Jose equips all 1,400 officers.

Each kit costs $1,700, plus a $99 per officer monthly fee. That's $4 million department-wide each year.

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Information from: San Jose Mercury News, http://www.sjmercury.com


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Michael_Stuart
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20 Dec 2009, 9:55 am

Sounds like a nice little documentary in the works, but with California's bankruptcy I imagine they better things to spend money on...



SpiceWolf
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20 Dec 2009, 11:35 am

I think the design of the Californian ones is poor, if they get into a scuffle, those things look like they are going to get knocked off, which at 1700 a pop you do not want happening a lot.

The system that Australian police are using privately is better, It's a shock resistant, water resistant device, about the size of a packet of cigarettes, that mounts onto an officers uniform, because it's mounted on the body it's securely attached and doesn't come off easily.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/police-buy-own-video-cameras-to-cover-themselves-from-being-sued/story-e6frfro0-1225787366046

L.



southwestforests
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20 Dec 2009, 11:39 am

^Does sound like a better system.


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you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness."
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