Two Thirds of US Police Departments Lacked Body Cameras Records in 2013

Less than one third of the 18,000 police forces in the United States equipped their officers with body cameras to record their actions during 2013, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released a survey of how many US police departments used body-worn and weapon-attached cameras.

The survey follows a wave of controversial killings of citizens by police as well as allegations of police brutality throughout the United States, prompting calls for reforms and improved civilian oversight.

Six percent of US police officers were given weapon attached cameras and around 12,000 police departments — 68 percent of the total — used in-car video cameras in 2013, according to the Justice Department.

“An estimated 32 percent of local police departments provided at least some officers with body-worn cameras and 6 percent provided at least some officers with weapon-attached cameras in 2013,” the Justice Department said.

The number of US police departments using non-lethal Tasers and stun guns increased from 7 percent to 81 percent between 2000 and 2013, the press release said.