ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department is hoping to equip another 150 officers with body cameras, but there's a hold up with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ has to approve OPD's policy before it releases grant money for the cameras.
Henry Lim, the chairman of the Citizen's Review Board, said he's disturbed over officers not turning on their cameras and OPD Chief John Mina said an auto-activating system could be the solution.
Sensors can be programmed to turn on the body cams when officers get out of their patrol car and the dome lights go on.
A Buda, Texas, officer tested the auto-activating camera last year and Buda Police Department Chief Bo Kidd said he knew it was necessary when an officer forgot to roll the camera during a long chase.
"Officers are going to forget to push that button and the types of incidents that are most important are high-stress incidents that you want to catch on video," Kidd said.
Lim voiced his frustrations over OPD officers who have cameras and don't turn them on after reading in a case that an officer said his camera was either dead or charging, but an OPD investigator asked no further questions.
"How much longer can citizens expect to have this kind of attitude about the body worn cameras?" Lim said.
Mina said it's going to be a matter of training and the officers getting used to it. Mina said he's looking into auto-activation to prevent some of those problems and take pressure off officers in high-pressure situations, but he can't do anything until the DOJ signs off on the policy.
Kidd said the auto-activated cameras have worked 100 percent of the time in his department.
Cox Media Group
