Baltimore County Police to Pilot Taser Camera Program

The Baltimore County Police Department will add cameras to its supply of more than 50 Tasers, according to a statement from Baltimore County.

“...credibility is an increasingly important issue in policing, and this is the right time to explore technologies that might be helpful in this regard,” County Executive Kevin Kamenetz said in the statement.

The county is investing $108,000 in the cameras for the 43 Tasers in the field and 11 Tasers used for training in the department, according to the statement.

The county is also furnishing the Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office with 20 Taser cameras.

Whenever an officer turns the Taser on, the battery-powered camera attached to the Taser will activate as well, according to a statement from the county.

Currently, the police department is studying the Taser cameras and will start the pilot program to test their effectiveness in the next 30 days, the statement said. The test may last for several months.

Kamenetz said he has asked Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson to consult experts regarding the possibility of employing body cameras in the field for officers, with recommendations due in 90 days.