Dallas Police Department to Add 200 Body Cameras in January

• By Matt Holden
• Dec 18, 2014

Dallas Police Chief David Brown has said that his department will use forfeiture funds to purchase 200 body cameras that will begin recording early next year, according to a report. He cited the need to increase transparency, accountability and community engagement in pursuing the cameras.

Texas State Senator Royce West introduced a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would require all police departments in the state to purchase and use the cameras. The Fort Worth Police Department has 600 body cameras, while other departments are exploring their options.

The DPD finished a pilot program in October that tested 50 cameras. Those cameras are still being used, and some officers have started to use their own.

The estimated cost to outfit each cop in the state with a camera would be $50-70 million. That, as well as privacy and logistic issues (such as how to store the data and parsing through it), are some of the biggest problems facing the use of the cameras.

“This is a national debate, and Texas cannot afford to be left out of the debate and cut out of the solution,” said West.