Police in Ferguson were not equipped with video devices and a subsequent lack of video evidence may have caused some otherwise avoidable problems during the period of unrest in the St. Louis metro area community.
Conversely, multiple law enforcement agencies in Texas County utilize video devices in their daily duties, as both the Houston and Licking police departments make use of video technology in patrol vehicles, and the LPD also outfits officers with body-mounted cameras.
Licking Chief Scott Lindsey said his department has used in-car camera systems for several years now, and four of five patrol vehicles in its current fleet are equipped with video. The LPD expanded video usage at the beginning of this year by adding five body-mounted cameras, enough for each full-time officer and an extra for either Lindsey or a part-timer.
Lindsey is a big proponent of using video in law enforcement.
“First, it’s great for evidence for use in court and we’ve used it for many cases,” he said. “Secondly, it’s a great tool to have to protect both ourselves and the public from complaints. When I do receive a complaint, I can look at video to ensure that an officer was following policies and procedures and it’s much easier to resolve the situation.
“Video serves as an incentive for our employees to do what we expect them to do, but at the same time it protects them when someone accuses them of something they didn’t do.”
Lindsey said the body-worn units greatly enhance the range of that protection and extend the view of what an officer experiences.
“The in-car video is great, and it’s still a good tool to have,” he said, “but a lot of times you don’t get to see the interacting an officer had with the public once he exited the car. That frequently applies on calls for service, like domestic violence or fights, when all you have is a video of what’s in front of the car as it’s pointed down the street.”
Thanks to grant funding, three of the Houston Police Department’s six patrol vehicles were outfitted with video gear early this year. At last Monday’s Houston City Council meeting, councilperson Don Romines brought up the situation in Ferguson and the idea of expanding the HPD’s video resources.
As a result, Houston Police Chief Jim McNiell will make a presentation about cameras during the council’s meeting Tuesday. McNiell has procured a sample of a small, state-of-the-art body-worn unit (made by Digital Alley of Lenexa, Kan.), and he said he hopes to outfit all six of the department’s full-time officers with the devices (which cost only $950 apiece, as opposed to the $2,000-plus price tag of typical in-car units).
Like Lindsey, McNiell is a believer in how video is now an integral tool in law enforcement.
“It helps protect everyone involved – the officers, the victims and the suspects,” McNiell said. “But in a courtroom, it adds validity to what happened and really provides irrefutable evidence. And the body-mounted units can be a big plus in incidents when you have to go into a residence, or anything else that requires leaving the vicinity of your car.
“Also, it helps make us more accountable, which makes us better officers.”
Lindsey said officer reaction to being equipped with both in-car and on-body video gear was mixed at first.
“Some of them were a little unsure whether it was a tool I was using to look over their shoulders and second-guess their decisions,” he said. “But once we got a chance to work with it, they realized it was just another option to help them do their jobs better. I think all of my guys would be greatly disappointed if they didn’t have it available to them.”
The LPD has no immediate plans for altering its video arsenal, but that could change in the future.
“We’re always evaluating equipment and looking at better technology,” Lindsey said. “With the in-car video, it’s really tough on the equipment because of the environmental conditions inside the car and the extreme hot and cold, and that makes it challenging to keep those units up and running. But the technology is always improving, so we’ll be looking at ways to get more durable equipment. And the picture quality is always getting better, so that will be considered as well.”
Lindsey said that in addition to the evidentiary and protection-related reasons, these days there’s another good reason for law officers to be equipped with video devices.
“Everyone has a phone and almost all of them have video recording capability,” he said. “So since everybody has a video camera in their pocket, you might as well assume they’re recording you and do the same.”
“It’s a tool all departments should have,” McNiell said.
Video serves as an incentive for our employees to do what we expect them to do, but at the same time it protects them when someone accuses them of something they didn’t do.”