University Of Minnesota Police Testing Out Body Cameras
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Police officers on University of Minnesota campuses are testing out body cameras this summer.
The Minnesota Daily reports that officers at three University of Minnesota campuses – Twin Cities, Duluth and Morris – began trying out the technology earlier this month in a test slated to last for two more months.
Each campus is testing a different brand of body camera, with an eye on which models and supporting software fit best with the university's security needs.
Part of the test, which is funded through a one-time allotment from the university's budget, is to see if the technology is truly needed on campuses, the report says.
Already, the Twin Cities campus has 2,500 security cameras and university squads cars are fitted with recording devices.
University of Minnesota Police Chief Matt Clark told the Daily that he felt comfortable testing the body cameras after legislation was signed last year making most body camera footage inaccessible to people not captured in the video.
A number of college campuses across the country have tested out body cameras, and at least 40 police departments across Minnesota use the technology.