Body worn video (police equipment) prepared for the United States Department of Justice in 2016 is that body worn cameras "are cameras with at least one microphone and internal data storage, and allow audio/video footage to be stored and analyzed with compatible software. The cameras are typically located on the police officer's chest or head". Wearable cameras are often utilized by law enforcement to record their interactions with the public or gather video evidence at crime scenes. Current body cameras are much lighter and smaller than the first experiments with wearable cameras as early as 1998. There are several types of body cameras made by
Body worn video (police equipment) have been conflicting studies on the use of body-worn cameras and the effect that these cameras have on police behavior. Early reports touting the benefits of police body cameras were based on limited research of small groups of police officers in a short period of time. In recent years, more robust research has become available, refuting the early claims. Reports on 54 Rialto police officers wearing cameras showed that complaints against officers from citizens dropped by 88% and "use of force" dropped by 59%. Another report that studied the effects of body-worn cameras for 46 officers of the Orlando Police