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Technology

Utah Police Might Have to Wear ‘Cops-Eye View’ Camera Glasses

Nov. 16, 2012 2:43pm Liz Klimas

Salt Lake City Police Department Looking Into Taser Axon Flex Camera Glasses For Officers

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Salt Lake City might be joining the ranks of police departments around the country that have been increasingly looking into on-officer cameras.

According to the Salt Lake City Tribune, police chief Chief Chris Burbank said it is his hope that officers will someday wear glasses equipped with a camera, which would provide footage, quite literally, of what the cop sees.

To WCSH6 Burbank said, ”What better way to document the entire event than an officer wear a camera that sees what the officer sees?”

The city is looking into the Taser AXON Flex, which cost between $1,000 to $2,000. The local NBC affiliate said the technology would provide “cops-eye view” footage. Watch the report:

A camera on the officer’s body would not only reveal more about his or her actions while on duty, but also the emotions seen on the faces of people they talk to and the area directly around them when they’re outside of the cruiser. Taser Founder and CEO Rick Smith spoke more about the benefits such a system could have, as reported by the Tribune:

Smith said any use of force is inherently high risk and controversial.

He said there are often differing accounts of what led an officer to use force in a particular situation and equipping them with cameras will help with investigations and retroactive reviews of decisions that were made, he said.

“It holds everybody accountable,” Smith said.

(Image: TaserInternational.com)

Burbank too said that it could increase efficiency in the office since it could reduce time spent investigating officer complaints. Any complaints made against an officer would be measurable against the video evidence.

Still, there are issues that would need to be worked out when it comes to the privacy of both the officer and the citizens, as well as public access to video footage. Last year, TheBlaze brought you similar technology being pilot tested by a couple cities but also the privacy concerns that were brought up. Here’s what we included from The Denver Post at the time:

“This sort of recording is a double-edged sword,” said John Verdi, senior counsel at the Washington, D.C.-based Electronic Privacy Information Center. “They can be valuable law enforcement tools and also demonstrate when and how police are complying or not complying with appropriate procedures. At the same time, the recordings made in the course of everyday (duty) are not the sort of things you want available to the public, and this does open them up to the public.”

Burbank said the department is in the early stages of looking into this technology for their officers. The Tribune reported that he would like 250 devices so each officer who interacts with the public would have one. Ultimately though, WCSH6 reported Burbank saying if Salt Lake City makes a move in this direction, he expects every police department in the state would do so as well.

The Tribune reported Smith saying that 2,000 officers nationwide have the light-weight cameras.

Watch this video from Taser showcasing the technology:

(H/T: Popular Science)

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Comments (67)

DisposableWorker
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 7:06pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=oEH5pMylo3Q&NR=1

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DisposableWorker
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:52pm
Make them cheap enough for the average citizen to wear them too. Then we can record you!

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- DisposableWorker
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 7:04pm
  DoItYourself_ http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=oEH5pMylo3Q&NR=1
  
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CulperGang
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 4:13pm
Oh, so it is alright to spy on the public BUT bureaucrats want to operate without the same scrutiny?
The mass public does not need to be spied on. The mass bureaucrats DO need to be under surveillance. IE: where is the 4 TRILLION missing from the US treasury. Never got an answer.
How about those behind the closed door policies? Like US Great Lakes FRESH WATER is being shipped to CHINA. I would defintely like to see WHO negotated that deal. I would like to see the faces of those bureaucrat dungs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=yTxU4Vj4NWg

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lobo2525
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 2:52pm
Sounds like great Idea!, It’s not!, First to state the probably obvious a police supervisor now is not always the best or most talented more often it’s a “Politically correct appointment”, so there you are doing your job on the street with our new high speed cam glasses, well those glasses will be turned in every night to be “viewed” by your supervisor and in the course of your 50-60 hour week if you you say or do ANYTHING the desk jockey reviewer doesn’t like, you will be written up. Gee now doesn’t that sound like job security.

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- bekhiet
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:26am
  I am not a supervisor would want to watch each officers entire shift. That would take up all his time, however, I do think it may be used against the officer in some way. This is not about “safety”, but rather to get officers. This liberal progressive administration does not like military or local P.D. They want just federal agents, like TSA. On anther article someone mentioned that in Vegas they saw TSA patrolling the streets. Big government is taking over.
  
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Bullitt2008
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 9:16am
The majority have no clue what cops go through or what a pain it is today. It doesn’t matter whether you have a CNN news crew and Supreme Court judge riding around with you, you’ll always be second guessed in today’s world. There are some things that cops do to get the job done that the average American would not understand. I’m not talking beatings or mistreatment; it’s the way you talk to people or resolve situations without taking anyone to jail too among many other things.

I retired from the LAPD as a sergeant several years ago after 33 years of service. Being on the street was the best thing. The worst was dealing with the police administration. The article doesn’t mention how far these departments want to go with these cameras. How would you like it if your boss could listen in anytime they wanted to while you’re bad-mouthing a policy or lousy supervisor? Also, what about guys like me? I always took off my glasses either out of respect when I spoke to someone or when I thought I would be involved in an altercation and I did not want my prescription glasses broken.

We only have these police cams now because none of the higher ups can use common sense and has the balls to make a final decision on their own. But I guess that’s the way our American society in general is now. It’s so sad. I do not recommend a career in law enforcement anymore. Be a firemen or a nurse.

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- CulperGang
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 4:16pm
  If you didn’t ENFORCE unfair, repressive edict from renegade politicians YOU MAY HAVE THE PUBLICS SUPPORT. Cops have become the thug arm of politicians, and you want to be respected?
  YOU swore to the Constitution NOT political bureaucrats.
  
  Report this comment
- DisposableWorker
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:53pm
  CulperGang has a point.
  
  Report this comment
- Bullitt2008
  Posted on November 19, 2012 at 7:33am
  Culpepper, the police have the public’s support, at least from normal people. The vast majority of cops are just “average Joe’s” hired from the general population, not indoctrinated brown shirts bred and raised as political “tools of the state” as you insinuate. Local police are there to enforce the laws of the state and municipality they work in.
  
  So which laws do YOU believe are “unfair and repressive?” Which politicians do YOU believe are “renegades?” Which parts of the Constitution do YOU believe are not being followed by the police in America?
  
  Or am I wasting my time because you and Disposableworker are idiots?
  
  Report this comment
loneindividual
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 3:49am
those camera’s don’t look like they would give 24/7 feed.

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Sig Sauer Guy
Posted on November 17, 2012 at 2:15am
Rather long video, but worth watching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVmGWLsn0iM

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ScottG-CO
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 9:04pm
As much as cops hate private dash cams, they will REALLY go nuts when they find a citizen with a set of these! Cops hate BEING recorded- most times for obvious reasons.

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- Bluedog78
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:45pm
  I’m a cop and I couldn’t care less about being recorded by citizens. I, like most of the guys I work with, am not a badge heavy knuckle dragging hot head so when you record me it will be pretty boring.
  
  Report this comment
- DisposableWorker
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:56pm
  Dear BLUEDOG78. You are becoming a rarity. G-d bless you.
  
  Report this comment
christianUSA
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:30pm
Wouldn’t these officers eyes become like walking recording could be used to find or enforce many zoning or environmental rules or regulation by other officials viewing video afterwards?

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- Walkabout
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:47pm
  They could walk thru the neighborhoods of the people who make the rules too.
  
  The if we have fair enforcement, then might get the hint of what is worth it ion a cost-benefit-wise.
  
  Just imagine police swinging by Carol Browner’s place.
  
  Report this comment
- DisposableWorker
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:58pm
  As always it seems to be a matter of selective enforcement of laws.
  
  Report this comment
christianUSA
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:53pm
Opinion While was in upper level college taking course in an advanced programming language there was this fellow student who’s IQ was said the high side of 140 that when he received back his first results of over 20 errors lost it to learn how imperfect non-logical human he really was. So also will the average law officer learn how imperfect they are when every action is and can be evaluated by higher ups, attorneys, prosecutors, judges. Now what will or might some higher ups use or do with such info? How past saved email records were used against a top spy official; but was the info use to control before that? Could it not have been? Could not such info on cops be so used? Yes we the people want to hold officials accountable and have the right to know what they do but state secrecy and limit access, warped interpretations of actions or laws could be magnified multiply times by giving such videos power to be analyzed and used as they please by high up officials.

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- kenboo1
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:27pm
  Opps… I guess I stepped on it during the scuffle… No sir I don’t know why the video is missing those crucial 3 minutes… Any questions???
  
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- christianUSA
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:35pm
  Wouldn’t these officers eyes become like walking recording could use to find or enforce many zoning or environmental rules of regulation by other officials viewing video afterwards?
  What type of regulations might docialist / liberal choice to enforce on whom?
  
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- christianUSA
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:39pm
  What type of regulations might socialist or liberal choose to enforce on whom through their new recording million eyes?
  
  Report this comment
thegreatcarnac
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 5:04pm
I was a cop for a time when I was younger. The bullcrap about rogue cops is mostly in Hollywood. THe cops I knew were neither supermen nor bullies. They were all pretty good people who took the job seriously. The camera is worthless. In serious situations like fights are gun fights…how long will that camera stay on the face if you are chasing someone, shooting are dodging bullets, or getting into fights. How steady will the pictures be? It is another impediment to the officer.

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- rickc34
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:44pm
  Big waste of taxpayer funds.
  
  Report this comment
- Female
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:55pm
  Gonna be lots of recordings of Donuts….
  
  Report this comment
mildot rider
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:04pm
What a joke. Do they have to wear them in the donut shop as well?

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- Bluedog78
  Posted on November 17, 2012 at 6:48pm
  what a clever comment
  
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Government_Goodies
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:00pm
Do they have to wear them while they pee?

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 5:13pm
  lol… or when they “consult” with the non-prosecuted hookers they use as snitches?
  
  Report this comment
- ScottG-CO
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 9:03pm
  The magnification element of these glasses won’t be powerful enough for the majority of city cops I know to have to worry about seeing anything on playback!
  
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KickinBack
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:56pm
Sweet glasses. Will their new service weapon be called “the noisy cricket”?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTqxFIpc1j4

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Individualism
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:48pm
the people need to buy these and the cops to and than the thugs among them will be put in prison for their crimes.

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truthsurfer
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:38pm
Yes the video will dispapear when he cop is at fault. Also i see nothing about audio recording which tells much of the story and uses much less bandwidth than video.

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P8riot
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:34pm
Wow, can’t believe most of the posts here!

PEOPLE, the police are the good guys, the criminals are the bad guys!!! Of course there are a few bad apples, but they are promptly dealt with.

I hate to paint with a broad brush, but I would venture to guess that all the of the anti-police people here are Ron Paul supporters. I’m not saying that all Ron Paul people are anti-police people, but I bet that most anti-police people are Ron Paul people.

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- Individualism
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:46pm
  anyone who murders is a bad person no matter what the cause except for self defense.
  
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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:58pm
  Yes, i’m sure NWA.. famous for their big hit “F the Police” were big Ron Paul supporters.
  
  Report this comment
- Government_Goodies
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:01pm
  “anyone who murders is a bad person no matter what the cause except for self defense.”
  
  False.
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:13pm
  Police are not the “good guys”. They are government union employees. They follow SOP’s laid out by their management without regard to your “rights”. How many cops have I looked straight in the eye while the blue gloved hand of safety grabs my crotch? Is he a good guy or just following orders and pretending like he didn’t see the 4th amendment violation. When seconds count, they will be there in minutes to fill out paperwork. God forbid you have to defend yourself with force, then they will do paperwork and likely arrest you as well until you lawyer up.
  
  They aren’t “good guys” and SOME are actually “bad guys”. But generally, my position is just that they “ARE”. They are instruments of the state. I would engage them in whatever capacity I want to have a relationship with the state. If I want to be left alone (which I do) I generally make every attempt to avoid having to talk to them because I trust them about (less) as much as I trust my government.
  
  Not sure how that is anti-police. If anything, you seem to be anti-Ron Paul supporters. See…isn’t it fun to black and white label everything? WHEEEEEE!!!!
  
  Report this comment
- searcher619
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:38pm
  The Anti-Police people here are the fools who buy the narrative that all cops are bad and brutality is common even when they themselves most likely have never witnessed a single case. I’m Half black and half Hispanic. ALL my encounters with the police have been good ones. They were always polite and professional with me and I was always nothing but polite and courteous with them. There will always be a few bad apples but that does not mean they re all bad. It’s been my experience that most of them are good solid people. If they were as bad as people here seem to think I’d have had quite a few bad encounters since I am not a small guy and people who meet me for the first time say I look a bit intimidating. Many people seem to think I’m a thug before they actually talk to me.
  
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- P8riot
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 5:23pm
  @ROTHBARDIAN_IN_THE_CLEVE –
  
  Keep talking smack about police until you need them, then call 911 for help.
  
  These guys are out there every day risking their lives to protect YOUR freedom!
  
  POLICE ARE HEROES!
  
  Just a quick question, do you feel such hostility towards all your protectors? i.e. the military? Are you one of those people that accuse them of occupation/murder/etc??? If so, you’re no different than the progressive liberals who live off the sacrifices of others – and then complain about how it was given to you.
  
  btw – I’m not a cop, I’m just grateful for all they risk to protect our safety and way of life. Finally, the police have better things to do than grab your crotch… STOP BREAKING THE LAW (OR GIVING THEM REASONABLE SUSPICION/PROBABLE CAUSE TO THINK THAT YOU ARE) AND THEY’LL LEAVE YOU ALONE.
  
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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 5:55pm
  P8TRIOT….
  
  “….(OR GIVING THEM REASONABLE SUSPICION/PROBABLE CAUSE TO THINK THAT YOU ARE)”
  
  “Reasonable suspicion/ probable cause” can often be in the eye of the beholder and include such things as: wearing a ballcap backwards while driving at 2am.. being white in a black neighborhood.. being black in a white neighborhood.. having a crappy car in a wealthy neighborhood… having a nice car in a poor neighborhood… averting your eyes from them… being nervous after getting pulled over when they “thought” you weren’t wearing a seatbelt (oops)… matching the general description of someone else they are looking for, etc.
  Many cops are heroes… many aren’t.
  Like any other work place… some do there job, some cut corners, some are absolute dirtbags.
  
  Report this comment
- P8riot
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:32pm
  @EASTINFECTION
  
  I agree that SOME police don’t represent their profession well, but that is such a small minority – its almost dismissive. I believe the number of bad apples is much lower than most professions because they are regulated and monitored much more than any other profession because of the level of authority they have been given. Additionally, usually only people who truly love to serve their community stick around because of the high risk and low pay – and all the crap they get from some types of people – push the rest out.
  
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- Ballot_Box_Revolution
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:57pm
  You are right…It is not the individual officer, but it is the power that the force leads them to believe they have. I am not Anti-Police. If I am interacting with a respectful officer i treat him as equally respectful.
  
  However I am Anti-Police-State. Treating everyone they interact with as some crack head that could flip off the handle in a split second…..Sorry I know the job is tough, and even dangerous, but you signed up for the job to serve and protect… Treat people as innocent friendly civilians until you see that is not the case….Let the person you pull over ask you questions, or try to explain themselves…i know it sucks to have to deal with idiot people, and you would like to get on with your day…but deal with it…we all do….
  
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- Deuteronomy22
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 7:25am
  I guess you’ve never been pulled over by an over-bearing arrogant officer. Try typing police brutality in Google. Cops lie daily on the witness stand, happened to me twice in traffic court and just as often they make up charges when they get angry. The magistrates and district justices go right along with the game. Always brings lawyer and a stenographer if you can afford it.
  
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- NYyankeeboi
  Posted on November 18, 2012 at 9:09am
  and how sweet is that kool-aid your drinking….The role of the police is not to serve and protect the people. It is to serve and protect the system that rules over the people.
  
  Report this comment
IWISHIWASINTEXAS
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:32pm
Yeah this one is a tough one to pass judgement on. I can see a lot of benefits for training purposes as well as assisting in prosecuting criminal offenses. Like everything else though it can be abused if someone wanted to. I could also see the public screaming everytime an officer has to use deadly force or tackles someone or uses his taser. Sounds like a massive headache and waste of money due to endless lawsuits.

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:06pm
  You say that now, wait until you’re shot 41 times for reaching for your wallet.
  
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- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:58pm
  41 times…….hmmmmm…..seems to me some officers have to go back to the range.
  
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JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:29pm
Tit for tat, they watch me all the time, I should be able to watch them too.

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:04pm
  Does it only come on sunglasses? What about the rare cops that aren’t afraid to make eye contact with the public? Do they wear the cameras on their forehead like a spelunker flashlight?
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:15pm
  Do they have to be NASCAR glasses like those or could they be cool Sylvester Stallone Cobra glasses? (Toothpick/Match optional)
  
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Joss
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:26pm
It’s a pity that this sort of technology has to be considered.

Can’t we all just get along?

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:17pm
  Sure we can. All you have to do is submit, obey, hide, and give over all your prosperity to the state? What’s so hard about that?
  
  Report this comment
ChuckJ
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:23pm
Your taxes city, county and state will go up. The initial cost, repair and replacement cost will hurt smaller departments. This is not a desk job and these glasses will take a beating. You could destroy a pair just by looking down at the ground. There is a reason most police officer buy the cheapest sunglasses they can. You will also need interchangable lenses for day and night shifts. Some departments change their officers schedules once a month. Then there are the more important problems and that is the officer safety issues. Yes there are bad cops but then again every profession has bad people in it. Police officers who break the law make better news stories than the ones who do not. That fact along with the fact that these men and women are charged with enforcing laws because people in general do not always obey every law from speeding killing people. And somethimes that speeder does not like the result and now has a negative opinion of police. With that in mind these officers sometimes have to make spilt second decisions concerning your safety or theirs. I agree this would help to understand why something happened the way it did, but it will also result some hesitation because of the Monday morning quarterbacks. There are already enough cameras around.

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davidwjohnson
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:12pm
Won’t happen, half the force would be on suspension for brutality after their 1st shift.

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- RabidPatriot
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:29pm
  The real truth would be that most complaints against the police would be proven to be unfounded with video evidence. The police would be smart enough to watch their actions and language. The idiots that clash with police aren’t that smart. I have watched the police get heavy handed with people, and those people desperately deserved that and worse. It’s weird that mostly criminals and the personality defective get police maltreatment.
  
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Oath-keeper
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:11pm
Those who follow their oath to the letter do not need video…….escalation is common especially when one feels compelled to feel over empowered…

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smokeysmoke
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:04pm
i think this is a good precaution… this will also allow cops to go back, and like a football player, watch how they conducted themselves, and try to improve their preformance during rutine things also… i think this can be imprtant at maintaining a digital record of the cops actions, but also help train new cops and have, hundreds of hours to show rookies, examples of in the line stuff you may run into…

the classes look like too heavy, i would rather have a badge that acts like a camera and recorder

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Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on November 16, 2012 at 2:52pm
Like dashcams, they’ll forget to turn them on. Or, more likely, the footage will be “lost” or “destroyed”. Good idea, but I’m sure the unions will fight it, departments will get around it, and the courts wouldn’t care.

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 3:00pm
  Was going to say something similar. It seems to me that, just as with car cameras, many video footages which might support a defendant in court will simply not be there. Lost, or as you say, the camera wasn’t turned on. In this case, I suspect that the batteries will fail at crucial moments when rights get violated.
  
  The best protection is to do your own recording, as a citizen. Except for, I think, Illinois you usually don’t have to have two party consent to record. Check your local laws first to be certain though. In Ohio, I can record and the officer never has to be notified. It’s a great thing to know, especially if you’re an Open Carry activist as I am. :)
  
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- searcher619
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 4:40pm
  Meh, we’ll have robot cops in no time then people will talk about the good old days when we had human cops.
  
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- Walkabout
  Posted on November 16, 2012 at 7:50pm
  Sous-surveillance. If the cops can film so should you be able to.
  
  Maybe not in a jail but definitely when dealing with police in a public place or on private property.
  
  Report this comment

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