The Norman Police Department will begin a three-week field testing period by deploying 12 officers geared with body-worn cameras.
According to a press release by Sarah Jensen, NPD public safety information officer, the test period begins today. Officers from patrol, traffic and investigations divisions will field test body cameras from three different vendors in order to find the technology which the NPD decides best suits its officers.
The release states that each of the cameras has a different selection of the features and “management systems” available on the market. Feedback from each of the different models will be analyzed and compared with over a year of research.
That data will be gathered and used to determine which vendor the NPD will ultimately choose to use.
"Once the vendor is selected, the department will begin working to purchase the equipment with a goal of having body-worn cameras for all officers by the end of the year,” the release reads.
One goal of the body-worn cameras on officers is to create more transparency for the public, the release states.
Jensen said in the release that while no technology is perfect, and there is no one solution for addressing all situations, overall, the NPD believes that even with its limitations, the body-worn cameras will benefit the community and officers alike.
