McCarthy: Chicago Cops Could Start Wearing Body Cameras In A Couple Months
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says the day when some Chicago police officers will start to wear body cameras is getting closer, reports WBBM's Bernie Tafoya.
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McCarthy says in about 60 days, his department ought to be ready to begin a pilot program involving cop cams. He says some officers have already volunteered to be a part of the program, but first the CPD has to figure out how to store all of that video and for how long?
"Once you finish your tour, now you have to put that somewhere and if you picture doing it on a large scale in a city like Chicago, it's going to be a big issue moving forward. That's why we have to get it right from the beginning," he said.
McCarthy says he has spoken to other police chiefs around the country and they are starting to figure out those storage issues.
The Fraternal Order of Police is on board with the cop cameras program. CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller tells CBS 2's Dana Kozlov, it should.
"It's an advantage to everybody," Miller said. "Anytime you have a citizen-police encounter, you want to know what the truth is.".
The Obama administration is also pushing body cameras, today proposing a three year, $263 million program to increase their use. It would, in part, offer a 50 percent match to departments or states that buy the cams. Irv miller says really, it's a no brainer.
"First of all, there will be less likely to have litigation because there is no need for it. The video tells you what happened."
McCarthy says police will now handle information about certain incidents, like police shootings, differently. He says a high-ranking officer or commander will now immediately go to the scene. Later, they'll call community leaders as yet another way to make sure correct information is given to us and the public.
