Baltimore County announced it will pilot the use of camera-equipped Tasers and study the use of body cameras on police officers.

The county will spend about $108,000 in cameras for the police department’s 54 Tasers. The battery-powered cameras will attach to the stun weapons and are designed to activate whenever an officer turns the Taser on.

A pilot program to test the Tasers will start within 30 days, Police Chief Jim Johnson said today. The department will then take several months to evaluate the effectiveness of the cameras.

Body Camera Study

In the midst of the growing national debate over body cameras on police, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz also announced today that he has directed Johnson to conduct an internal review of deploying such cameras on field officers.

The study group will include members of police operations, administrative and technical services, the law department and media unit. Chief Johnson has promised to solicit input from leaders of community groups, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 4, and others.

The study will examine cost, privacy issues, impact on police operations, data storage and retention, and public information issues. Kamenetz said he wants the review completed in 90 days.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has formed a task force to study the same issue for city police. She vows to equip officers with body cameras, and says she expects a report on her desk early in 2015.

“We recognize that credibility is an increasingly important issue in policing,” Kamenetz said in a statement today, “and this is the right time to explore technologies that might be helpful in this regard.”