Body cameras may also be commonly used by another law enforcement agency in California. The California Highway Patrol has begun testing them for their Stockton and Oakland offices. Officer Mike Martis says the pilot programs will continue through October…

click to listen to Officer Martis

Legislation was introduced about 2 and a half years ago about eventually equipping all CHP officers, at an estimated cost of $10 million. Martis says the cameras would go beyond improved monitoring of interactions with motorists they stop…

click to listen to Officer Martis

Martis says the biggest concern about nearly 8,000 officers wearing the cameras is the complexity and expense of storing the footage from so many contacts with the public, which is over 4-million a year. If the cameras are adopted more widely, the CHP would also develop written policies about protecting the privacy of innocent citizens and whether officers should be allowed to view the video before they write their reports.