CHP employees who finally carry body cameras

Three years after CalMatters reporting revealed that only 3% California patrol officers on the highway carried bodily chambers, one of the largest police forces in the country plans to equip all its employees with the technology until next year.

In 2015, already retired assembly member Reginald Jones-Sawyer Make a $ 10 million plan to give all CHP bodily camerasS Legislators landed a year, Pilot program for $ 1 millionS Officers have almost recorded 93,000 videos within the same yearBut the program has never been expanded.

In 2022, The history of Calmatters He noted that the pilot project led to 237 bodily camera agency, placing CHP far behind the local law enforcement agencies. At that time, the agency said it was focused on modernizing its Dash Cam system. Five months later, CHP sought funding for body cameras for all its employees, and state legislators approved the budget request.

So far, about 2,400 cameras worn out of the body have been distributed to employees in the Bay area, Los Angeles and the Sacramento region, according to CHP spokesman Jaime Cafe. A total of all 7,600 employees are expected to receive their cameras by March 2026, she said.

“This is the ideal example of moving too slowly,” said Jones-Soyer. “I always knew that should happen. I was only 10 years before my time.”

Highway patrol officers Make about 2 million stops a yearAccording to data from the State Advisory Council for Rase and Identity. Employees were also used to work outside the state highways. They are have been located During the immigration raids of the Federal Government in LA, accustomed to crime in Oakland and drainage racesAmong other things.

There are few studies on whether the cameras worn out of the body reduce police violence. However, a 2022 survey found some evidence This, after three years, agencies with bodily chambers have noted a decrease in police killings compared to agencies that have not done so.

Since 2023, state legislators have been giving CHP nearly $ 20 million for new cameras and have planned $ 5 million in current funding to support the new system.