SEPTA cops are testing wearable cameras

Three SEPTA transit police officers will test out wearable cameras, announced SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel. The cell phone-sized cameras will clip onto officers’ shirts and record everything they do, the Inquirer reported.

It’s an effort to increase accountability for both the public and police, Nestel said.

“We’re hoping it will reduce the number of use-of-force incidents, and we’re hoping it will reduce the number of complaints. We’re hoping that it will help us in investigating complaints and showing that officers did exactly what they were supposed to do,” he said.

Law enforcement agencies are getting more and more interested in the wearable technology, though organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union are concerned about the surveillance. The Philadelphia Police Department tested similar cameras two years ago, though it’s unclear what became of the pilot. In Maryland, the Baltimore Police Department is considering using wearable cameras, while cops in the state’s Prince George’s County are already using them.

Read more on NewsWorks and the Philadelphia Inquirer.