The Kemah Police Department is seeking grant funds to purchase devices that represent a new approach for providing transparency in police-related shootings — mounting cameras at the end of officers’ pistols. A camera called the Fact Duty Camera, manufactured by Minnesota-based Viridian Weapon Technologies, attaches to the bottom of the muzzle of handguns, allowing an unobstructed view of an incident. “Transparency is very important in our business nowadays,” Kemah Police Chief Chris Reed said. “We have a variety of methods to document everything, like the body cameras and vehicle cameras, but Viridian has come up with a new concept of a camera, and it fits on the end of a pistol. “It gives you a spectacular view of whatever that pistol is looking at at the time.” The camera also includes a high-powered light and laser. Last year, Viridian invited the Kemah department to test the product. “We’ve actually had some cases we had the opportunity to use it on,” Reed said. “We’ve been very pleased with it. The durability is great, but the best thing about it, by far, is the view it provides for you.” Sometimes the view through cameras that are mounted in patrol cars or worn on the body can be obstructed, Reed said. Viridian President and CEO Brian Hedeen said his company is testing or implementing the device with more than 400 police departments throughout the nation and that over 50 agencies in Texas have tested or trying it out. The Vernon Police Department northwest of Wichita Falls was the first Texas department to acquire the cameras, he said. During the testing phase, the Kemah officers tried running with the device and noted that it doesn’t jolt and bounce like body cameras. The department purchased one of these weapon-mounted cameras for a plain-clothed detective since officers in that role don’t carry body cameras. Detective Alonzo Soza, who has a police officer for 14 years and with the Kemah department since 2010, said he was skeptical at first but has nothing negative to say about it. “I’ve had encounters where I’ve executed search warrants and other deals during my investigative work where I’ve had to actually pull out my duty weapon, and I’m glad I actually had (the weapon-mounted camera),” he said. “Wherever my eyes go, my pistol goes. We had excellent footage, and the audio on it is excellent.” But what surprised Soza the most about the Fact Duty Camera was the light it provides. “We executed a search warrant and the house was pitch black,” he said, “and whenever we went through, (the light) lit the place up like it was daytime.” Soza hopes the new product will help show the truth of everything that happens. “Whenever an officer is involved in a critical incident and shooting, you want as many eyes as possible because that’s something that you take into a split-second reaction and it can be scrutinized in many ways. If a body cam obstructs what you truly saw as it was unfolding, it’s always going to be called into question. “With the gun camera, it eliminates that doubt because you can truly see what caused the officer to react.” The device weighs approximately 3.3 ounces and costs about $525, which according to Reed is much cheaper than the price of a body camera or one mounted in a vehicle. “We have decided to move forward with (the Fact Duty Camera) and are in search of state and federal grants that will allow us to purchase these for each of our patrol officers,” Reed said. “We found that the majority of grants out there that are available for departments looking for body cameras will also work for this type of camera, too.” Reed estimates that the cost to equip his entire department would be from $15,000 to $20,000. The Fact Duty Camera features a 1080p HD video camera, audio and is password-protected. The device is waterproof and fits in existing duty holsters. The camera records automatically when the gun is drawn. One of the biggest concerns Reed had was how long the battery would hold a charge, but after months of testing, he was satisfied. “I think the officer mentioned that in the eight months we’ve tried it, he’s only had to charge it like three times,” he said. Said Hedeen, “This product was initiated out of a clear need in the world today. “The need for transparency and capturing what really happened has been heavily document in current events.” tyler.johnson@chron.com
Kemah police impressed with gun-mounted camera
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