King City PD first in state to implement weapon-mounted cameras

KING CITY, Calif. (KION) The King City Police Department said it has become the first agency in the state to implement FACT Duty Weapon-Mounted Cameras.

Police said there is a need for transparency in law enforcement, so the department is using a tool dedicated to capturing officer-involved shootings. The technology is in different stages of testing and implementation in 40 states, according to the department, but the King City Police Department says it is the first to complete implementation in the state.

“The Weapon-Mounted Cameras were purchased and implemented to capture use of force incidents where officers drew their firearms or were involved in an Officer Involved Shooting,” said King City Police Captain Keith Boyd. “As we have all seen, the country, the community and
the world expect objective and immediate evidence of Officer Involved Shootings. And this gun camera does just that. They complement our body worn cameras and we see them as a benefit in modern policing.”

Police say the camera gives an unobstructed view of use-of-force events, which could make up for limitations officers face with body-worn cameras. It has a 1080p full-HD digital camera with a microphone and 500 lumen tactical light. It is automatically activated when the officer draws the gun from its holster.

The department said it prevents officers from failing to manually turning on a camera and keeps them from fumbling with equipment.

See the FACT Duty camera in use below.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said that these devices will help in reaching fair conclusion surrounding officer-involved shooting investigations.

“Just the fact that it provides a different angle is good too," Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon said. "The more information, the better.”

Additionally, the District Attorney's Office said that juries now expect tos ee video in these kinds of cases.

“If this helps the jury perceive what happened, it’s definitely worthwhile,” Brannon said.

But many activists think this approach to police reform is misguided.

“While it may seem like, ‘oh this is this radical kind of technology that’s going to hold police accountable,’ what I think it ends up doing is taking funds away from needed social programs,” activist River Navaille said.

Those opposing the weapon-mounted cameras said that if the funding is to remain with the police department, then it should not go toward new equipment.

“Improving training within the police department," Seaside City Council candidate Alexis Garcia-Arrazola said. "That’s a first step that we can take.”

They said they're left with questions about how accessible this new camera footage will be to the public.

“How would we ensure that these are helping facilitate investigations and not just another tactic to help calm down the waters within the community,” Garcia-Arrazola said.