1. “The Public Finance Considerations
to Policing the Police: Will the
Associated Costs of Personal Video
Recorders Help or Hinder the Law
Enforcement Community?”
By T. Luke Schwartz
PADM 5007
May 9, 2016
2. PVRS (Personal Video Recording System) in law
enforcement
New equipment, new technology, all new
responsibilities and expenses
Fiscal impacts to local, state and federal authorities
Personal perspectives from various peace officers in
and around the Central Valley
Cost benefit analysis
Introduction
3. Transparency for deputies and officers in the field
Added staffing impacts
IT Costs, maintenance, installation of
hardware/software
Public Freedom of Information Act Requests
Local agencies such as Modesto Police:
Sergeant Gary Crawford (trainings, server maintenance,
equipment acquisition)
Taser International, Chad Kapler, Rep.
Potential Liability &
Eventual Cost Savings
4. Newly established levels of public trust
Investigative tool for prosecuting agencies, as well as
to substantiate or disprove citizen complaints of
officer misconduct
Avert unnecessary civil litigation
PVRS incorporated into basic POST training regimens
(Axon Flex Cams)
Equipment could have proven useful in past civil
lawsuits (Fresno 2009 incident)
Internal Affairs Considerations
5. Some refusing to work without new technology
Enhanced public trust and confidence
Fully contextualized imagery (start to finish)
Are policies, procedures, rules and laws being
followed?
Are citizens inclined to act differently when knowing
they’re being recorded?
Specific interview results (SCSO sworn staff)
Individual Officer Preferences
6. Armando Olvera v. MPD: $105,000 settlement,
$69,000 in legal fees
Police dog bite during PC 602 (trespass) call
Jack Allen Smith v. MPD: $165,000 settlement,
$64,476 in legal fees
PC 148(a)(1) (resisting arrest)
Recently Resolved Civil Litigation
City of Modesto Cases
7. $135,000 for 150 body cams
$900/unit
$45,000 in annual iCloud data storage costs
$25 a month/unit
New hires to process Freedom of Information Act requests
Who receives data imagery? DAs, media, courts, civilians, civil
attorneys, etc.
How much federal aide can local authorities expect?
(18,000 local law enforcement agencies)
PVRS Equipment & IT Costs
Per Wall Street Journal in Berkeley, CA
8. Stanislaus County Counsel
Modesto Police Dept.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Dept.
Modesto Bee
Taser International
Further Local Research
9. Complaints Cost
Avoidance
City of Rialto Analysis
$20,000 Cost per Complaint
X 21 # of Complaints Avoided with
Cameras
$420,000 Year 1 Cost Savings
- $90,000 Cost of Cameras and EVIDENCE.com
$330,000 Net Savings Year 1
City Saved $4 in Hard Cost for Each $1 Spent
10.
11. 41% reduction in total complaints
60% reduction in total allegations
31% decrease in pepper spray deployment
47% drop in use of “personal body” force by officers
Specific Case Studies: San Diego PD
12. “The body cameras have proven to be a positive
game-changer for our department and the San Diego
community. We find the cameras to be a win-win for
our officers and citizens, and we look forward to
continued success with our body-worn video program
here in San Diego.”
- San Diego Police Chief Zimmerman
San Diego PD (Cont’d)
13. Body cam hardware (200 units): $174k at 650/unit Initial PV Now
650 X 200 = 130,000
Digital software management : $52k
Backup server costs (2 units): $162k at $81k/unit
IT staff support: $170k annually Perpetuity (A or amount/R or
discount rate) / At 10% of PV (present value) would be $1.7 million
Replacement server costs: $162k ($17.4k)(1/3)(162)Perpetuity
Replacement cost for cameras (10% damaged every year): $15k at
$300/unit
Server licensing/software (10 units as forecast by Taser): $70k at $7k/unit
PV of Costs = Docking stations, licensing, & further insurance costs for a
final price tag initially now w/no discount + 10% of initial perpetuity =
($990,200.85)
Sonoma County Sheriff’s
Office Case Study
Estimated 5 year costs
