The West Police Department in Texas’ McLennan County is adding transparency to its force with its new body cameras, joining the growing trend across the U.S.
According to the Waco Tribune:
They provide a 130-degree view in front of the officer and work in low-light situations. Recordings are downloaded and stored after each officer’s shift, Hudson said. The department will keep the recordings, which are subject to open records requests, for at least 90 days under a policy approved by West’s city attorney.
The best feature, Hudson said, is that to turn the camera off, an officer has to hold a button down in the center of the camera’s viewfinder for three seconds. This prevents an officer from “accidentally” turning off the recording, he said.
“Every agency should have these. There’s no reason not to,” West Police Chief Chris Hudson told the Waco Tribune. “… We’re committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all the people, and by having the cameras we can do that.”