Move Over, Dashcams: Police Now Have Body-Worn Video

Vievu has announced the release of “Straight Shooter 25”, a new program designed to gear up police with “Body Worn Video” cameras while on duty. In a story from ConsumerElectronicsNet.com, it was reported the cameras collect digital evidence that has been shown to deter the use of force by police forces that have implemented the program.

The beauty of the program is that it’s not cost prohibitive; there are no start-up costs. According to the company, Straight Shooter 25 is “priced at $25 per month, [and] includes the recently released rugged LE3 HD camera, VERIPATROL secure file management software that includes in-car mobile viewing and Free Cloud storage access.”

Much like police cars’ ubiquitous “dashcams,” body worn video cameras produce real evidence of conditions that officers face in the field. However, because of their mobility, attached as they are to the officers that wear them, the scope of their evidence is broader. Whether the video captures evidence in a criminal matter, or altercations with police, the video evidence can spare cities needless lawsuits.

A story in the March-April 2014 edition of Evidence Technology Magazine, "Body Worn Evidence," discusses the studies and outcomes from actual users of Vievu’s cameras, and the evidence is compelling. One study, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, illustrates that “93 percent of police-misconduct cases where video was available resulted in the officer’s exoneration; 50 percent of complaints were immediately withdrawn when video evidence was used.”

Vievu’s video cameras have become the “world’s leading body-worn video camera deployed by over 3,100 agencies in 16 countries,” the company said in a release. Vievu’s tagline is “Made by Cops for Cops” and founder Steve Ward and his leadership team have extensive police, public safety and military experience. Ward also has an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, and previous experience as the VP of Marketing for International Sales for Taser Corporation.


Edited by Rory J. Thompson