LAKE HAVASU, Ariz. -- Hardly anything happens in public anymore without someone shooting video of it and then posting it online for all to see. And as some police officers have discovered, amateur recordings don't always show the whole story. To fend off allegations of abuse, a company known for its weapons has developed a camera system for law enforcement.
The I-Team found a department, not far from Las Vegas, already using it. Police in Lake Havasu City, Arizona are using headcams to document their daily patrols.
Lake Havasu plays host to an annual spring break invasion and despite evidence to the contrary on YouTube, this year, drunken party-goers weren't the only ones recording the action.
"I think they realize if it's on video, it's on video. They can't screw up and neither can we," said Officer Steve Angel, Lake Havasu City Police Department.
As part of a pilot program. last June, Angel volunteered for a new piece of equipment.
"Any idea why I'm stopping you today?" Angel says to one man.
The video camera, secure to Angel's ear and made by Taser International, captures every encounter from the officer's point of view.
"The reason that I'm stopping you is you have your passenger standing up in front of you," he tells the man.
The earpiece integrates with Angel's police radio through a communications hub on his chest. The unit on his belt stores the data and documents enforcement and investigative contacts.
"You'll have people that you'll stop for an obvious violation and for whatever reason they'll decide to come into court and say, 'no, I didn't do that.' That's why the Axon camera comes into play and it's an awesome tool to have them on camera saying, "'oh, I don't have it, or I forgot it or I didn't consent to a search.'"
In one video exchange, an officer asks to check a man's pockets to make sure he has nothing illegal. The video shows that the man has what appears to be drugs in his pocket and is arrested.
Exchanges like that convinced Capt. Joe Fuimara to make the pilot program permanent.
"As soon as the defense attorney and the defendant found out we had the situation on video, they took an immediate plea," said Fuimara.
While the recordings may be used as evidence, Fuimara considers their primary function to be informative. A tool to help the brass evaluate citizen complaints and to aide officers like Nolan Smith in detailing their daily patrols.
"Documentation-wise it's huge. There's a 101 things to remember on scene during your investigation that the video captures. You can go back and look at it and add that specific detail to your report," said Smith.
Reaction to the cameras, Smith says, has been mixed.
"People actually stop me and ask, 'Is that the new camera system you guys have?' Other people, they'll look at it, you can see their eyes look at it, but you can tell they have no idea what it is on your head. Some people ask if it's a laser," said Smith.
It isn't a laser but it is a weapon in the department's crime fighting arsenal. An uneditable record of the incidents some suspects would rather not recall, or simply can't remember. The Lake Havasu City Police Department has nine cameras that were purchased with grant money. the unit runs $1,700 and the storage through Taser is $1,200 per year, per camera.
The Lake Havasu City Police Department has nine cameras it purchased with grant money. The unit itself runs $1,700 and the storage through Taser is $1,200 per year, per camera.
Metro confirms it tested the cameras about six months ago, but passed for now based on the cost and on some design issues. The system is not yet wireless, which can be a challenge given how much equipment police officers already wear.
Metro plans to test the next generation of the camera system when they become available.
