Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell

Jennifer Samuels, a staff member from my office, recently spoke to Sgt. John Boren, San Jose Police Department’s research and development unit, where there is currently a head-mounted camera pilot project underway. The San Jose Police Department, a 1500-member department, has tested new technology and has provided input to make up Taser’s latest Axon model.

Sgt. Boren said, “The truth of the matter is that we want to protect our officers from invalid complaints. It’s about protecting our officers in the field. It’s about capturing evidence.” He said, “Taser provides excellent…evidence. It increases professionalism on the part of the officer and affects the behavior of the public.”

Officers in the San Jose Police Department saw empirical evidence that showed a change in the public’s behavior and improved professionalism on the part of officers.

Sgt. Boren stated that in a private home, if a resident asks you to turn it off, you must turn it off. However, in the streets, you can have it on — there are no privacy issues. He went on to say, “The system is capable of pretty impressive features. At some point, we will see what the officer sees real-time.”

When asked how does it save taxpayers? Sgt. Boren responded that when one major lawsuit is prevented and one shooting is captured, there is “a potential savings in civil liability.”

We are now just beginning our outreach to the public and discussions with City departments. Do let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you, and find out more about the issues and concerns. Contact me or my staff at jennifer.samuels@Seattle.gov.

Photo credit: Dai Sugano/San Jose Mercury News/AP