Parker Police Begin Wearing Body Cameras

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4)- Police officers in Parker will begin wearing body cameras on Thursday in an effort to become more transparent and maintain trust.

"I think it's part of policing in the 21st century, it calls for body cameras," said Parker Police Officer Dawn Cashman.

During the two month pilot program, five officers in the police department will implement, test and review policy and procedure, equipment capabilities, data storage and retrieval, redaction and case law and the roll out of department-wide implementation of the program.

The body cams chosen by the Parker Police Department are not small, in fact the cameras are about the size of a computer mouse. They say the images are crystal clear with the larger cameras.

"In an effort to remain transparent and continue to maintain the public's trust, the body worn cameras are a tool we've chosen to implement for our Department. Policing in the 21st Century has required that law enforcement keep up with not only the Department's needs but the communities needs as well," said Parker Police Chief David King in a statement.

Parker Police indicate that other pilot programs across the nation where body cameras have been implemented by law enforcement agencies have seen significant decreases in both complaints and use-of-force incidents.

"I think... it's accountability for the officers and accountability for the civilians," said Cashman.

Although only a handful of officers will test the cameras, the idea is to have all officers wearing body cameras within a year. The biggest factor in that plan is the cost of the cameras.