Los Angeles Police Department officials today said they plan to move forward with using Taser body cameras, which offers a cloud-based video storage system.
Officers who field-tested two brands over the past 90 days noted the ease of storing and accessing recorded video, as well as other “back-office” features associated with the Taser cameras, department officials told the Police Commission today.
One official compared the usability of Taser’s video storage system Evidence.com to the intuitiveness of an Apple iPhone, saying that officers were able to quickly figure out how to use it.
The other brand tested by officers was Coban, which currently provides the in-car digital video system to the LAPD.
Department officials also showed the commission their favored model, a wireless camera attached to the chest area of an officer’s uniform. Other models the department looked at were mounted on lapels or sunglasses.
The department plans to continue meeting with the police union, employee relations officials, the inspector general, the American Civil Liberties Union to discuss labor issues and policies for using the cameras.
The cameras would be funded through private donations.
The Police Commission today took no action, but instructed department officials to report back on their progress in 60 days.