LAPD Upgrades Car Cameras To Increase Transparency In Police Interactions, Chief Says
The Los Angeles Police Department is updating the cameras in its patrol cars to capture wider angles with higher resolution and allow for video to upload from the field to a station, in hopes of increasing transparency in police interactions, Chief Michel Moore announced. The LAPD partnered with Axon, a private company based in Scottsdale, Ariz., to install the new Axon Fleet 3 in-car camera system, which will be rolled out on all vehicles over the course of a year, Moore said. “We recognize [our current systems] are based on technologies that sometimes are more than a decade old or more,” Moore said at a news conference Thursday. “We know that when that happens with technology you are falling behind … Technology is constantly improving.” The cameras will also record high-quality video within the squad cars, according to the LAPD, and feature “knee-to-head” video in the passenger area and “enhanced night view capabilities.” The new Axon Fleet 3 will also allow LAPD officers to use their body cameras as a microphone, meaning they no longer have to carry separate microphones, which could become dislodged during interactions with civilians.
Los Angeles Times
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