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Detroit Police To Wear Body-Mounted Cameras To Increase Transparency

DETROIT (WWJ) - Looking to improve what he calls the integrity of the department, Detroit Police Chief James Craig on Wednesday announced a new pilot program that will utilize body-worn cameras by select officers.

Already at use in cities including Dallas and New Orleans, the body-mounted cameras will be worn by 20 Detroit police in the city's second precinct beginning next week.

No bigger than a lipstick tube, the cameras are meant to record an officer's-eye view at all times.

The technology will not only allow officers to accurately document critical information, crime scene evidence and police-citizen interaction, Craig said, also promote more confidence within the community.

"There'll  be a 30-day study, and following that we'll conduct an evaluation, conduct an additional 30 days, and come up with a final report that will make a decision," said Craig. "A lot of the decision certainly will do with cost. But, again it's our effort to enhance transparency."

A representative of the Arizona-based company that produces the Taser Axon Flex Body-Worn Camera and Taser Body System Camera said independent studies have shown a 60 percent reduction in the use of force and an 88 percent reduction in false claims against police departments that use the product.

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