Body cameras for Houston police officers approved by City Council

HOUSTON – The Houston City Council Wednesday voted to approve the purchase of body cameras for city police officers.

"If a young black man or Hispanic man is shot and there ain't no cameras and we passed on it, that's (expletive). We need to vote on this thing," Council Member Dwight Boykins said.

He begged his fellow council members to vote to purchase body cameras for all Houston police officers. 

They did vote, with 11 council members for it, and four against it. 

HPD will purchase 4,500 cameras and will start to issue them to officers in the next 90 days. 

"The chief's intent is to roll them out station by station, shift by shift," Mayor Annise Parker said.

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland said it will take between 12 and 18 months for all of the officers to be equipped with them.

The next issues to be finalized are where and how the video data will be stored, and writing the final draft of the policy on how the cameras will be used. 

"The policy, I have committed, this will be the only general order of HPD that will always remain public. It will be open and transparent to the public, always," McClelland said.