LAPD, body cameras, Tasers

The LAPD recently placed an order for more than 3,000 Tasers which are connected to body cameras that turn on when the Taser is fired. The LAPD is ranked #3 in the nation when it comes to the size of the police force available. The Tasers in the order are the X26P Smart Weapon, which will automatically record every action of the user which includes exactly when the Taser is fired and for how long. In addition the weapon automatically activates a body camera worn by the law enforcement officer. Charlie Beck, the police chief for the LAPD, has said “The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to implementing safety measures to reduce the risk of injuries to both our officers and the members of our community, while improving trust within our communities. In addition to these new Taser deployments, we plan to issue a body-worn camera and a Taser device to every officer. It is our goal to make these important tools available to every front line officer over the next few years.”

In recent months there have been a number of cases where citizens have died after contact with or confrontation with police officers, like Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and that has caused law enforcement to respond to complaints that militarization of the police has caused the rights of citizens to be trampled. Body cameras can go a long way towards restoring police credibility and ensure that any altercation between police and citizens is fully recorded and documented.