Philadelphia PD to Begin Testing Body Cameras

Add Philadelphia to the growing list of police departments that will start using body cameras.

Philly PD has announced that a “handful” of officers will begin testing the equipment in the near future, according to NBC Philadelphia.

The pilot program has been in the works since the summer, when the Pennsylvania Legislature first authorized the use of wearable cameras. Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay called them “long overdue,” despite the costs.

Andy Hoover of the Pennsylvania ACLU said that the cameras raise plenty of privacy issues, but that, by and large, they’re manageable. And when properly handled, Hoover said, the cameras benefit police and citizens, acting like “another set of eyes” that can provide accountability and encourage everyone to play it cool in tense situations.

“I think it’s the way to go,” Ramsey told Philly.com. “I think it’s something that’s long overdue in our department.”