A work group has assembled and is hashing out what it will take to begin a test program to outfit the county police with body-worn cameras.
Officers across the country have been using the cameras – models are about the size of a cellphone – for years. High-profile police shootings have accelerated calls nationwide to make the cameras a routine piece of equipment.
Adding cameras makes sense and sorting out the logistics of a program – including what equipment and software to buy, how long to store images, when the devices should be switched on, who gets access to the images and when – needn't be onerous.
Widespread support in the county for the cameras already exists, according to findings from a survey of 700 residents conducted last year.
Several departments that have the technology in place report dramatic reductions in claims that officers used excessive force. At the same time, the cameras can record officers who are in the wrong. Prosecutors say clear and compelling evidence in the pictures makes closing cases easier.
Neighboring Baltimore County is scheduled to start equipping its officers with the cameras this summer; the five-year rollout is projected to cost about $7 million. The District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police expects to have cameras for all officers by the winter. Both agencies are larger than Howard's force. Cost estimates for a county program haven't been released.
While lagging behind other departments in the state in establishing a program, Howard has the advantage of piggybacking on the knowledge and experience gleaned from agencies with programs, as well as recommendations in comprehensive studies, including best-practice recommendations from a 23-member Maryland commission appointed last year by the governor.
The thorniest questions center on balancing privacy rights with the public's ability to get information collected by governments.
Crime victims must have certain protections over the release of images that could put them in further danger. Public access to the videos must be clear of hurdles, including excessive fees and unwieldy paperwork. Department policies must conform with the state's public record laws, which themselves are evolving to reflect ever-present surveillance technology.
Police body-worn cameras have become necessary, valuable tools that should be purchased for Howard's officers.