Friday at the Montana Legislature, lawmakers will discuss body cameras for cops. Democrat Rep. Bridget Smith of Wolf Point is carrying a resolution to study the effects of requiring Montana police officers to wear so-called body cams.
“And we will look into ... the compelling reasons why, this would be good for Montanans.”
But the cost may be too high. A 2014 Department of Justice study says the average price of cameras police stations buy is between $800 and $1,200 each.
There's another hurdle as well. Montana law requires notifying a person that they're being recorded. It also raises privacy concerns if cameras are used in private residences and then released as a public record.
A 2010 Police Foundation study showed that body cams reduce the numbers of confrontations and complaints against officers. Smith says the Montana Highway Patrol supports body cams.