Body Cams: Should All Cops to Have Them?

While dash cams have become commonplace tools in law enforcement, body cams aren’t widely in use.

That is about to change in Sarasota where the city has decided to move ahead with a plan to equip 24 officers with personal cameras that can be worn on their hats, glasses or uniforms.

The pilot program is costing the city an estimated $36,645, according to WPTV. The money is coming from a U.S. Department of Justice grant the city has agreed to accept that will cover the cost of the cameras during the year-long pilot.

Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino says cameras and law enforcement make a good combination.

“People act a little bit differently,” DiPino told The Ledger. “It will modify behavior. I really believe it will reduce injuries to our police officers.”

University of South Florida’s Dr. Wesley Jennings also says cameras can provide valuable evidence when cases go to court.

“Both sides will have their story but the true evidence in a sense is going to be on a tape,” Jennings, of USF’s Department of Criminology, told WFLA.

The university is currently conducting a study on the use of body cameras in law enforcement. That study is meant to determine if cameras have an effect on the use of force, among other issues.

To date, Sarasota is the only Bay Area agency to move forward with plans to obtain body cams. The city of Tampa is exploring the option. Local sheriff’s offices, including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Manatee, do not use cameras and aren’t exploring them at this time, WFLA reported.

Sarasota’s officers should be equipped with the cameras sometime this fall.

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