1,400 Chicago Cops Will Get Body-Worn Cameras in February

The city will expand its police body camera program to six more police districts by mid-2016. The body-worn cameras attach to an officer’s clothing and are used to record audio and video of certain police activities.

Starting in February, about 1,400 Chicago police officers are expected to be equipped with next generation, body worn cameras that are said to have higher resolution and better low light performance. The new cameras can also double as an in-vehicle recording device.

The program will be paid for with a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, matched by $1.1 million in city funds. The Chicago Police Department has also applied for additional state grants to assist with camera purchases, storage, maintenance, licensing, upload stations and other program related costs.

The body cams are intended to assist police officers in investigations, routine traffic stops, and daily police work, as well as lessen the odds of a deadly force incident where there is no audio.

“Improving public safety and making Chicago a safer city has been one of my highest priorities,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a news release. “Expanding this successful program into one-third of the city will help enhance transparency and credibility as well as strengthen the fabric of trust that is vital between police and the community.”

The new tests sites will be announced in the coming days. Beginning in February, the police department will be purchasing next-generation cameras which can record up to 72 hours on a single charge in high definition.

So far, 30 body cameras have been piloted in the 14th Police District, which covers the Wicker Park, Bucktown and Logan Square areas, as well as parts of Avondale.

More than 4,600 videos have been captured totaling more than 745 hours. Officers are currently evaluating the cameras for routine calls for service, investigatory stops, traffic stops, emergency vehicle response and evidence collection.

The police department claims that preliminary usage and operability results are promising as the devices are helping officers in their daily work and being used to aid in criminal investigations.

To receive federal funding, the program requires an academic study, in this case, University of Illinois at Chicago’s Criminology Department.

As seen in recent days, video has been essential in documenting interactions between officers and citizens.The expanded body-worn camera program will include automatic equipment upgrades every 30 months to ensure officers have the best technology available.