PHOENIX — After last year saw a record number of officer-involved shootings in the Valley, Phoenix PD is investing millions of dollars to buy around 2,000 body cameras for its officers. Phoenix police are just the latest in the Valley to make major investments in the technology.
However, a recent review by George Mason casts some doubt on the effectiveness of the cameras.
The review looked at 70 studies dealing with body cameras. It found that body camera's impact on Use of Force, changing officer behavior or the public's behavior to be either inconclusive or insignificant. The research did find that most studies did show body cameras reduced the number of complaints filed against officers.
"In times of crisis, you are going to the training you had before and you are going to respond to how you have been by trained," Dr. Jeff Hynes said, serving for decades with Phoenix PD. He is now a teacher and sometimes provides his expertise as an expert witness.
Hynes said the cameras do help promote transparency.
"I said this, you said that, it takes out all of that" Hynes said.
Increasing transparency was the overarching theme from Phoenix PD when they announced their new body cam purchase earlier this year.