As body-worn cameras are becoming more and more prevalent in law enforcement, agencies are now testing new devices: gun-mounted cameras.
Proponents of the technology say that cameras on guns provide a better point of view then body cameras and are less likely to be obstructed by an officer's movements, according to CNBC.
Centinel Solutions CEO Max Kramer told the news outlet that he set out to build a "more intelligent" system following conversations with law enforcement while studying at New York University in 2014. Centinel is one of the first companies to deliver the devices to police departments for testing.
"We're in the business of having an unbiased tool which can solve one of the most contentious problems in the U.S. right now," Kramer said.
The company's cameras are compatible with a majority of gun holsters and its software complies with law enforcement protocols. The camera mounts under the barrel of the gun and starts rolling as soon as a weapon is drawn. The video is encrypted and can be stored locally or in the cloud.
One intriguing feature of the device is that when the weapon is drawn, it triggers an alert, sent via a mobile app, to a desktop portal manned by an officer back at the station.
"We love that function because it can send a signal to the sergeant to let them know that he or she just pulled their weapon and it also tells you exactly where they are so you can start sending units to the location," St. Petersburg, Florida Police Chief Anthony Holloway told CNBC, adding that so far his agency prefers the gun-mounted cameras. "The camera's actually on the end of the gun, so it's showing you exactly what I am seeing, I don't have to worry about trying to position my body."
The next steps for St. Petersburg will be to test the devices on the street, develop a policy on storing the footage and eventually ask the Mayor and City Council for a budget.
Centinel says that the devices cost roughly the same as body cameras, but that transmission and storage costs are much lower since the they are recording less footage. The company claims that because of this, gun-mounted cameras could save police departments hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
