A small number of police departments are showing interest in a new type of video camera that can be mounted directly on officers’ guns.
They say it may offer a better view of officer-involved shootings than body cameras. But some law enforcement officials and civil rights groups note that gun cameras start recording only after weapons are drawn and won’t capture what led up to a confrontation.
Proponents say officers’ arms, walls and other objects can get in the way of body cameras. They also say body cameras also may not be turned on.
Police in St. Petersburg, Florida, Maple Plain and Independence, Minnesota, and Williams, Arizona, are among those considering gun cameras. Manufacturers say many other departments are showing interest in the cameras.