ORLANDO, Fla. — By March, city leaders in Orlando say 50 police officers will be wearing new body cams, a number that will increase to 450 by the end of the year.
The Orlando City Council has approved a $1.1 million contract with Motorola Solutions to provide the cameras, but the decision was not made without some trepidation.
Council members did have questions about the cameras’ battery life, but Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the contract with Samsung will make sure there is no issue.
“We’re going to request that they give us 10-hour batteries, so I’m not concerned about the battery issues,” he said. “I think we’re going to be fine. With any technology, there’s always going to be battery life issues.”
The cameras look similar to a smart phone and are worn across the officer’s chest, allowing the person facing him or her to see themselves in real time.
The front runner for the body cam contract was Taser International, but two OPD officers were working side jobs with the company, causing a conflict of interest.
Internal investigations into the officers’ connection to Taser International are ongoing, records show.
The cost to taxpayers for maintaining the new Samsung body cams is estimated to be about $800,000.