N.Y. Senator Pushes For Cameras On Cop Handguns

[RamboLiberal]

Source: WCBS-TV

In a flash, a police officer draws a handgun from its holster. Less than two seconds later, a red laser and bright light shine at whatever is in the gun barrel's path while a mini-camera records it all.

That's how mini-cams on police handguns would work under a proposal gaining support in New York, which would be the first state in the nation to require the technology. State police were briefed on the technology and are reviewing it for a possible pilot program, said Michael Balboni, the state's deputy secretary for public safety.

The device could create a critical visual and audio record of police shootings for use in court, said state Sen. Eric Adams, a Brooklyn Democrat and former police officer. He is drumming up support for testing the cameras with the state police SWAT squad.

Adams said recordings from the $695 cameras couldn't be altered by a police officer and would quell many questions after controversial police shootings, like the deaths in New York City of Amadou Diallo in 1999 and Sean Bell in 2006.



Read more: http://wcbstv.com/local/police.handgun.cameras.2.722036.html

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Intriguing idea. Wonder how stable the picture would be with the gun's recoil? Lot of cops are already carrying similar light and/or lasers on their handguns.

If it's workable I'd sure be for it. Sure would help in answering questions in exactly what was happening in shootings like the above cases cited.

[NightWatcher]

1. that looks very clumsy and oafish. I dont see cops carrying it

plus undercover detectives would have to wear a bigger holster in order to accomodate the camera.

[RamboLiberal]

4. I bet it could be miniturarized a bit

but it's no worse than weapons mounted lights/lasers now. And they make holsters for the gun/light combos. SWAT of course uses them, but there are some street cops using as well. I'd really like to see this mandated on tasers - seems we have more deaths now from tasers than police firearms.

[newburgh]

7. Why not require cops to have cams on their hats to record the whole

shebang? A camera on a gun is idiotic- unless you get off on watching someone getting shot. What useful information could it record? Really? Let's say it does record something of use- what's to say that video would ever be available in controversial instances where the officer may be at fault? What happened with the White House emails? There's a law but there's no equal enforcement of it. Just one more tool in the world of a make-believe "democracy".

[tridim]

2. Great idea if they can make the camera smaller

Put it on tasers and nightsticks too.

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. The Adams brothers ... a force in NY to be reckoned with n/t

[thunder rising]

5. Just up the voltage on the Tazers and leave the gun in the holster. Cops are now just killers

looking for a target.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Hate the way some of you DU'ers label all cops

Hope you never need that cop! Most are decent human beings just doing their job.

In fact I don't know how they manage to do their job with some of the crap and the worst of humanity they see.

[newburgh]

6. Uh, very old news. They attempted to make our city the first guinea pig...

This was discussed heavily on our city's blog in November. We dug around and found out the company is owned by a local Repug connected to NY State Senator Scum Larkin and wackadoodle county repug chair Deprospo.

http://www.voy.com/166166/5/17088.html

and here...

http://www.voy.com/166166/3/17522.html


Actually it's ancient news apparently...

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/10/16/camera-on-policemans-revolver-snaps-evidence/

[Historic NY]

8. Its a scam to get TAXPAYER funds we already been through this

the principals are all hooked up to various Republican chairman in the state. They already tried to scam Newburgh and Orange county and got shown the door. The local paer ran a story on it. Just what prospective will the camera show the perp getting shot....like we need to see it to know what happened. Its like red light cameras. AS for the lights being carried only TACTICAL SQUADS would have something like that, lasers sites are now for the most part internal.
this so called camera is rather large and the sio caleld inventor is looking for funds to actually make one.....so what you see is not what they're selling or trying to sell.

[RamboLiberal]

9. Actually most lasers are external

One company makes an internal guide rod laser, but many are grip mounted and even the company that makes the internal laser are coming out with the grip mounted. Others are mounted on the rail below the handgun as laser alone or light/laser combos. Also some rail mounts are just lights.

As for it being a stupid idea. Could be. The one I think is a really stupid idea being pushed by lawmakers in a # of states is serialized ammunition. That's going to be a nightmare and a huge cost to ordinary plinkers if the idiots pass it.

I really wish lawmakers would get an education so they know what the hell they are talking about and its cost before passing stupid gun bills.

[MadMaddie]

11. Bad idea...I could see cameras on helmets but not the guns

we don't want the officers to have to hesitate in a real situation because that is the difference between life and death.

There are a lot of good police officers out there and they put up with the shit that you can't even imagine. This idea is a bad idea, the officer has to get her/his weapon out of the holster without thinking about it this would hamper their response.

[madmusic]

12. Thinking is so yesterday

Bush was the first to chuck it and make it popular (to not think or care about thinking). He's a man of instincts and action. Thinking is for pussies.

If the cops trust their instincts enough they will forget about the camera. Unless they THINK they too often overreact. Then it might introvert them.

[NM Independent]

13. If they can put a video camera in nearly every mobile phone...

then that thing should cost WAY, and I mean WAY less than $695. It should be smaller too.

A simple - safety activated - model would be plenty sufficient. It's not a bad idea, but with a cop behind it, and Repiggies making it and helping to push it through - I don't trust it one bit.

Sounds like an exploitation of tax dollars to me.

[sofa king]

14. I have a few of problems with this.

The first problem I have with it is that if the gun has a light on it, officers may prefer using it over a simple flashlight, and if they do sooner or later someone is going to get accidentally shot when a cop sees something unexpected and twitches.

My other problem is that if the officers themselves don't like the idea, they're going to start busting the cameras after every incident, sort of like how American "advisers" shot up their radio sets in the early days of Vietnam. It could make things difficult for prosecutors (and defenders) if they're expected to come up with a recording and can't.

Less of a problem but still on my list because of my distrust in human nature is this: Digital video is amazingly simple to fake, distort and edit. Ten minutes in Photoshop is all one would need to put a gun in an innocent victim's hand. But the trick works best if the target is stone cold dead. So rather than protecting accidental gunshot victims, it could wind up making sure every accidental wounding is fatal and every victim is framed.

And finally, also in keeping with my cynical nature, I don't believe the average juror is capable of understanding camera footage. I mean, look at what happened to Rodney King! Those guys got off because a defense attorney talked the jury into believing that if your elbows bend while swinging it, a billy club to the head doesn't hurt--doesn't hurt a black man, that is.

[RamboLiberal]

16. Officers using gun lights as flashlights

Is already something that is discussed in LE circles and in fact with civilians with guns/lights in the home. It's a matter of training. Have a separate flashlight and don't use your gun light as a flashlight for obvious safety reasons! If you just need a flashlight you don't want one that can go bang!

[sofa king]

17. Thanks for the reply, Rambo.

I'm glad to know it's already a topic of discussion. I'm sure the police don't like playing Doom 3 with their own lives, but it's such an obvious safety issue that it will certainly need to be addressed.

[Cobalt-60]

15. Good idea. But put the camera in the cop's hat.

Connected by a slim cable under the uniform.
Presumably they will be looking at their target.
A Hat Cam won't have to be built to withstand the heat and shock.
So it can be much cheaper.