On February 13, 2012, the police department of Rialto, California, began a 12-month experiment with cameras worn by its officers. Use of force fell from 61 incidents in the previous 12 months to 25. Citizen complaints fell from 24 to 3.
The record protects more than citizens. A lawyer for the ACLU of Southern California told ABC7 that the cameras were useful in “protecting officers against false accusations of abuse.”