CPD body cams newest layer of defense

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The new body cameras being worn by some Chicago Police officers are designed to be the newest layer of defense for both officers and anyone they encounter on the streets.

A couple of dozen police officers are part of the pilot project in a single Chicago Police district. It is very early in the process, but it appears the future has arrived.

The 14th District on the city's Near Northwest is called Shakespeare, it's called. Afternoon watch cops for the last three weeks have been wearing body cameras the preferred model worn at chest level.

Fourteen-year veteran Daniel Feliciano said he has encountered nothing Earth-shattering about this new tool, but he has noticed that it seems to lead to calmer conversation.

"The interaction with the community is a lot better now," said Officer Daniel Feliciano, Chicago Police Department. "Once they're aware that we are recording audio and visually, their demeanor seems to calm down."

The protocol is that the cameras are activated anytime there is officer-civilian interaction. That means everything from routine service calls to situations of high risk. So far none of the latter, but there will most certainly be.

It is the superintendent's desire that the body cameras ultimately be used department- wide.

"I endorse it, let's put it that way" said Superintendent Garry McCarthy, Chicago Police Department. "If I can make it happen, if there's no roadblocks occurring, that's what I would like to see."

There are, however, a host of unanswered questions. The cost of video storage will be substantial and just managing the technology will add to that.

At shift's end, all the video is uploaded to the cloud. The only video kept after 90 days would be for evidentiary value. It's early, but police reviews are favorable, and so too from many residents.

"It adds to public safety," said Nick Lipton. "They can be rest assured that they won't get blamed for anything they haven't done and we can be rest assured that they won't do anything we can't see."

Protocol is that when an officer approaches, he or she says that audio and video are being recorded. The pilot program will continue for another couple of months, which will help answer some of the day-to-day operational questions.

But the big question for a very big department ultimately centers on the cost of something that is inevitably going to become a part of future policing.