Pittsburgh Outfitting Patrol Officers With Body Cameras
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Pittsburgh Police have received a $250,000 grant for the purchase of an additional 200 body cameras which would significantly expand their use among city police.
The 35 body cameras in operation right now are used by city motorcycle and bicycle police.
That's because their interactions with the public ordinarily happen outside.
The cameras are in use in a number of Pennsylvania police departments, including Clairton. But they can't be used inside a home because of Pennsylvania's strict wiretap laws.
"If you're going into someone's home on a response, to perhaps a domestic violence call, there are other innocent people in that setting that would be exposed by disclosing publicly video that would be taken by a police body cam," said Elizabeth Pittinger of the Citizen Police Review Board.
The city plans to expand the use of body cameras to patrolmen, but the original plan to expand their use was put on hold by the chief of police in February until the wiretap issue could be resolved or until officers could be trained not to use them in certain situations.
So training is underway for the new cameras and how they can and cannot be used until there is a change in the law.
"Discretion is certainly important part of the use, which is what I presume the police will be trained in and then certainly disclosure and the discretion of disclosure would be an important part for public accountability and the public interest," said Pittinger.
Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Brewster (D - McKeesport) says a bill that would make changes to the current law might pass by the end of the year if the legislature can ever agree on a budget.
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