BODY CAM PLUS & MINUSES?

[mjwalsh]

I very recently was part of an intensive 13 week 3+ hours sessions that our city put on to make it so interested citizens can be more informed. One of the sessions was with our local police department. The Officers who I mingled with all seem to be in favor of them finally getting body cams.

Our state of ND like most states in the USA have the "only one party knowledge stipulation" for the audio recording portion of the body cams. I am tempted to experiment a bit with some lower cost body cams ... any thoughts? Few situations IMHO are more frustrating & devastating than to possibly have officers' & possibly the news media believe a perp's recounting of confrontational situations ... rather than what actually happened... that arise on the property that we try to protect!

 

[mjwalsh]

I was hoping to get some responses on this thread that I started before it gets lost from current new posts view.

I just want to add that during the oil boom here in Western ND there were some really slick thug-like big city characters staying at an emergency all male shelter <2 blocks away. They were not all 100% bad but a police lieutenant told me that some were definitely drug peddlers just looking for a super cheap place to stay while they lurk their way around the city. Since myself & my help did not allow them to loiter ... we became their target for aggression from time to time. We had been known sometimes to carry pepper spray ... rather than a loaded pistol like some of you carry when on your property. Maybe both cams & firearms are needed since the burden of liability proof could shift to the owner or person on duty. A local officer was recently fired from his job specifically because of excessive force use ... placed upon a real rascal (first hand personal experience) who was a master at provoking anyone in authority.

Sure most of us have cameras all over on the property ... but there is a chance that a body cam will turn out to have the better audio-visual recording.

The police session with their top people (the chief etc included) also allowed us to not just have the 9mm-laser guided firing at a target experience but also showed the considerations when using the one-time use taser process.

 

[eckert16]

Be careful. Lots of legal complications (federal, state, and local). You may want to consider talking with the local attorney. Your attorney will be representing you in any incident. He may also have a 'good read' on the local District Attorney. The local D.A. is the one that will choose to prosecute you for violating the perps 'rights', or he will prosecute you for defending yourself (ala California style), or actually charging the perp for violating your rights. Every location is different, ever since the BLM/ANTIFA riots turned the rule of law on its head... get good solid legal advice before exposing your business to the incidents.

 

[mjwalsh]

Be careful. Lots of legal complications (federal, state, and local). You may want to consider talking with the local attorney. Your attorney will be representing you in any incident. He may also have a 'good read' on the local District Attorney. The local D.A. is the one that will choose to prosecute you for violating the perps 'rights', or he will prosecute you for defending yourself (ala California style), or actually charging the perp for violating your rights. Every location is different, ever since the BLM/ANTIFA riots turned the rule of law on its head... get good solid legal advice before exposing your business to the incidents.

No question about it ... some localities tend to be more volatile & crazy at the prosecution level. During our 9mm practice & taser demonstration ... a retired CPA (who tended to be at my side during most of the sessions) whose brother was former local sheriff gun expert now legislator... told me of if the police show up & you the property owner is the only one with a gun ... there is a potential increased danger of a lesser officer possibly reacting towards the civilian (good guy) with a gun. I have a "flashback" of a lesser DC officer (physically large) pretending to explain his shooting of unarmed Ashley Babbitt by saying to Pelosi's, Shiff's & Raskin's J6 committee ... in tears ... that he thought his life was in danger. Too bad his specific "thought" was not rational IMHO ... based on thorough enough "God gave us eyes" video evidence.

 

[jubalr]

I own a company that manufactures In Car and Body cams for law enforcement with customers all over the country (including customers in ND), I am also a retired investigator with the Sheriff's Dept. You will not be 'prosecuted' for having a camera. Good grief, you don't think a cell phone has the same capability. And while I would be happy to sell you a bodycam, it would be overkill for your situation. I would recommend a pen (as in writing pen) to better fit your needs. They take incredible audio/video and fit in you shirt pocket (they also write!). That way, it is ready to go by just pressing a button as needed. We have used them and recording watches in undercover operations.
Whether your state is single or 2 party required you'll be fine. The worst they would do in a single party state, if you had a case that actually went to court, is mute the audio.
https://www.amazon.com/safuxser-1080P-Spy-Recording-Security-Classroom/dp/B0BFT8H3Y2/ref=sr_1_1

 

[MEP001]

I would recommend a pen (as in writing pen) to better fit your needs. They take incredible audio/video and fit in you shirt pocket (they also write!)

Can you recommend one? I've tried a couple, and the video and audio were completely useless.

 

[jubalr]

Can you recommend one? I've tried a couple, and the video and audio were completely useless.

We've had good luck with most of them. Their cheap and you can return if you get a bad one. Try this..
https://www.amazon.com/safuxser-1080P-Spy-Recording-Security-Classroom/dp/B0BFT8H3Y2/ref=sr_1_1

 

[mjwalsh]

We've had good luck with most of them. Their cheap and you can return if you get a bad one. Try this..
https://www.amazon.com/safuxser-1080P-Spy-Recording-Security-Classroom/dp/B0BFT8H3Y2/ref=sr_1_1

4K recording would be nice but that would probably require a body cam rather than just a pen. Having quick replacement SD cards on standby would be a must since it's SD card memory usage could be used up pretty fast.

 

[jubalr]

4K recording would be nice but that would probably require a body cam rather than just a pen. Having quick replacement SD cards on standby would be a must since it's SD card memory usage could be used up pretty fast.

Resolution like that definitely not a factor. Great for movies and beautiful scenery, but not a body camera. Though our cameras are capable of higher resolution, most departments set them for 720p. Huge difference in storage and battery but no difference in quality that effects it from a evidence standpoint and same audio (he said/she said)..

 

[mjwalsh]

Resolution like that definitely not a factor. Great for movies and beautiful scenery, but not a body camera. Though our cameras are capable of higher resolution, most departments set them for 720p. Huge difference in storage and battery but no difference in quality that effects it from a evidence standpoint and same audio (he said/she said)..

As a private citizen it seems like the option of 4K could be of value ... for example if the private citizen wanted the body cam to be used occasionally as a dash cam where distance (pixel clarity) could come into consideration. Initial cost for the extra resolution option could be a factor along with other focal length sharpness factors etc.

Since police departments tend to have both dedicated dash & body ... you make a good point ... but a car wash owner private citizen's application could be a bit different IMHO.