Police see benefits to body-worn cameras

After 60 days of wearing devices in field, Tomball officers note behavior patterns

Members of the Tomball Police Department are giving the L-3 Mobile Vision body-worn cameras high marks after 60 days in the field.

“They have been issued to every officer and they are using them as we speak,” said Tomball Police Chief Billy Tidwell.

In March, the Tomball Police Department purchased 50 of the body-worn cameras and real-time streaming capabilities for 13 patrol vehicles, at a cost of $40,000.

Earlier this summer, the department began training officers and staff on the proper use of the equipment, with the cameras hitting the streets before the Labor Day weekend.

The cameras are worn by 42 of the department’s active police officers, with eight held in reserve in case any of the cameras become damaged.

The body-worn cameras and software are manufactured and distributed by New Jersey-based L-3 Mobile-Vision.

The live stream software is also compatible with the department’s patrol vehicle’s dashboard cameras, which has the capability to transmit images to dispatch while the vehicle is in operation.

Tidwell said that while the

police department has not had many citizen complaints filed against officers in the past, he sees the body-worn cameras as a necessary piece of equipment.

“We have already had one use of force incident captured on video, which was good because it’s not something that would have been picked up by the (dash-cam video),” he said. “It (the incident) was behind a house, so only audio would have been picked up by the dash-cam. With the body camera on, we saw the incident and the officer…was totally justified in his actions, so that’s one of the areas where this will be good. We are finding this to be really helpful.”

Like any piece of new equipment, the officers have had to familiarize themselves with the equipment to the point that simple practices, such as turning on the cameras when they exit the patrol car, and where to wear them on the uniform, become routine.

The devices can store up to eight hours of audio and video, which are downloaded onto the department server at the end of each shift.

Capt. Rick Grassi, who leads the Tomball Police Department Patrol Division, said the most difficult adjustment for the officers was remembering to turn the cameras on when they get out of their patrol cars.

“It was basically changing their behavior, and reminding them to turn this on at any incident for any police activity,” he said.

While the officers have had to change their behavior, the appearance of the cameras themselves has also ushered in a change.

Grassi, who has viewed many of the videos collected by the body-worn cameras, noted a change in behavior in potential suspects and citizens when officers are responding to calls for service or making a traffic stop.

“People tend to respond differently when they know they are being recorded,” Grassi said. “I have seen a higher level of compliance and I have seen a higher level in the way people are responding to the officers when they know they are on video. I wished we’d had these (years) before.”

Oddly enough, officers expressed mixed views on the use of body cams, when they were introduced.

Grassi said that while some of the officers liked the idea of using the body cams while on patrol, others viewed the use differently and considered it a Big Brother component.

“They realized quickly that this is a tool that is there for the benefit of the officer,” he said.

However, like Tidwell, Grassi believes the body cams will ultimately prove their value to the officers and residents of Tomball.

“It’s a good tool and the officers will learn to love it.”