In the wake of Baltimore rioting over the death of a police suspect in custody, there is growing support for shirt cameras on every patrol officer.
A bill that passed the Texas Senate, sponsored by Dallas State Senator Royce West, could help make the devices available.
Possible democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has discussed federal government support for the devices.
Dallas police began testing 82 shirt cameras last year. The city agreed to purchase 200 and a private fundraising drive is underway to purchase 1,000 more, enough to equip every Dallas patrol officer with a body camera.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the city is currently working through the cost of operating so many video cameras.
“It’s not just a simple thing of buying a body cam. It’s about the information technology system that backs this up. So, it’s an expensive proposition. But ultimately I think citizens want to know that what our police do 99 percent of the time is safe and good and they back them,” Rawlings said.
Former Chief Assistant Dallas County District Attorney Heath Harris helped introduce the devices to smaller police departments in Dallas County when he worked with former DA Craig Watkins.
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“I do think the body cams are a step in the right direction because people definitely act differently when they know they’re being videotaped,” Harris said. “Having the body cams is just an additional piece of evidence that’s going to help the prosecutors get it right, and at the end of the day, that’s what we want.”
Dallas came close to violence after a July 2012 police shooting and several other fatal incidents have sparked strong criticism of Dallas police.
Last week, a Dallas County grand jury refused criminal charges against two Dallas officers seen shooting a man with a screwdriver last year on shirt cam video.
“The reality is, all our major cities are one incident away from Baltimore, one incident away from Ferguson,” Harris said.
Dallas police also attempted to counter community concerns by equipping all patrol officers with Taser weapons as an alternative to deadly force, posting more information about shooting incidents online and through increased community involvement.
“The situation in Baltimore troubles me greatly, to see any city torn apart like that is heartbreaking,” Mayor Rawlings said. “I’m proud of what we’ve done in communication with the communities to talk about the issues we have.”
