Houston is largest city to deploy body-worn cameras in the nation

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Mayor Sylvester Turner and acting police chief Martha Montalvo made the announcement today that 4,100 body-worn cameras (BWC’s) will be distributed throughout the HPD over the next year.

The program launches after a successful pilot run back in 2013 where the technology was evaluated and a 17-page general order for officers to follow was produced.

The cameras will stay in a standby mode until the officer activates the record button. The officers are to record every time they are dealing with the public. At the end of their shift the data will be uploaded into the department’s video evidence management system.

Officer Ali McHenry tells us “I think it'll help our jobs because there's no more of my version and your version solely now we have a third-party which is the camera and the judge and jury and investigators can use that as a valuable tool."

It will take about 18 months for all 4,100 cameras to be distributed.