Following Ferguson shooting, police departments rush to adopt body cameras

Whether you believe the story told by Ferguson police officer Daren Wilson, or by the family of Michael Brown, it is certain that the case has changed the face of law enforcement in America.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The use of body cameras by police departments has skyrocketed around the country following criticism that offers are usually not held accountable by questionable or outright illegal actions they take.

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One maker of these body cameras manufacturers, Taser-a company best known for its famous stun guns-says that sales of its body cameras were up 30% in the third quarter, a time which included the August 9 shooting of Brown.

The company has reported that the San Francisco police department has ordered 160 cameras, and the L.A. police department also announced that it is going to arm officers with the cameras.

Total, 1,200 police agencies in the United States are using the body cameras. The company has sold over 100,000 of these cameras, some are mounted on the stun guns themselves.

Another camera maker, Digital Ally, reported that inquiries into purchasing their cameras have increased six or seven times. Current sales are four times higher than the average.

The company's CEO, Stanton Ross, spoke with CNNMoney and revealed that: "What we've seen is a tremendous amount of increased interest in the body cameras, and now in the fourth quarter we're seeing that interest turn into orders."

While it may seem like a no brainer to equip police with these devices in light of recent events, departments actually have a lot to consider, including objections from police unions, concerns of privacy groups and cost.

Many of these cameras cost upwards of $500 apiece, and storing the required footage can cost $20,000 a year or more.

Still, many departments feel the increased costs of doing business are well worth it.

"There's no cost to replacing an officer, but if we can have a (body) camera that shows a point of view other than the in-car camera that helps us in a lawsuit, this is big savings," said Lt. Bryan Hunter, a member of the Byron Police Department in Georgia.

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