New Camera Promises More Police Transparency

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A new addition to an officer’s gun will enable policemen to have more transparency with the public. Including their body cameras, police officers’ guns now also have the power to capture video. The system provides HD video and audio at the crucial moment when an officer is required to unholster his or her weapon. INSTANT-ON technology means the camera starts recording the moment the weapon is drawn. Viridian developed this technology for law enforcement.

The Moody Police Department, Alabama, may soon be recording any dangerous encounter anytime an officer draws their gun. According to Moody Police Chief Thomas Hunt, “You get a live muzzle view of what an officer is looking at down the line of sights.” Hunt says four years ago, body cameras were a great addition but officers can block the camera’s view when a weapon is drawn. “If we have an officer-involved incident where we had to draw our weapon we want to make sure we see everything that you can see and the body camera may not show that,” says Hunt.

The unique camera will put what an officer does on full display. Hunt acknowledges how quickly a situation can escalate before someone pulls the trigger, reports abc3340.com.