Resources

In-vehicle dash and body-worn cameras have become a standard practice for many police departments. These cameras come with a variety of benefits for law enforcement and their communities, including increased transparency and improved accountability. Built to protect officers and members of the public by retaining evidence of their interactions, these cameras are viewed mostly as positive assets. However, some controversy lies in the discussion about the use of manual activation vs. automatic activation. 

Balancing Discretion and Automation in Camera Activation

In a perfect world, a camera would always automatically turn on and off in strict accordance with an agency’s policy. This issue is more straightforward for in-vehicle cameras; the devices should generally be activated when the emergency lights are on or during a pursuit. Officers should subsequently turn off these dash cameras at the conclusion of an interaction. With body-worn cameras (BWC), there is more subjectivity involved. Due to the numerous types of law enforcement contacts and calls for service, responders must have the ability to use reasonable discretion.   

Automatic vs. Manual Activation of BWCs

Manual activation develops important muscle memory and helps prevent officers from using automatic triggers as a crutch. If the activation of a camera may compromise an officer’s safety however, automatic camera activation can be invaluable in capturing adversarial incidents. To complicate matters, some automatic triggers can be unreliable, leading to intrusion of officer privacy or harm to community relations.   

Let’s look at a few scenarios, which illustrate the complexities that come even with well-intentioned triggers:  

• Example 1: Officer Harris is chasing after a subject at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. By leveraging a speed trigger, Officer Harris’ body worn and dash cameras turn on automatically due to the high speed, allowing him to keep his hands on the wheel.
• Example 2: After numerous years on traffic patrol in a standard police vehicle, Deputy Jones is assigned to a bike patrol unit. On his previous assignment, he never had to activate his body camera manually since it automatically turned on when his emergency lights turned on during a traffic stop. He has not developed sufficient muscle memory and continually violates policy by failing to activate his camera manually.
• Example 3: Deputy Olson is conducting a late-night area check when she sees a robbery in progress at an ATM. She draws her weapon and holds the subject at gunpoint while calling for backup. Deputy Olson’s BWC turns on automatically thanks to a holster trigger. When the gun is drawn, the camera turns on.
• Example 4: Officer Davis works as a police officer on a college campus. His department has implemented automatic activation for BWCs. As soon as he responds to an incident on campus—triggered by his radio dispatch or by an integrated system detecting heightened activity—the camera begins recording. When school administrators review the footage, they see exactly how the situation unfolded. The video provides an objective account of Officer Davis’ actions, reinforcing his professionalism while also serving as a valuable tool for training and policy discussions.

Essential Tools in Public Safety

Versaterm Visual Labs’ philosophy emphasizes that cameras should be proactively activated manually wherever possible. Ideally, automatic triggers will never need to be used, but they are an excellent safety net when an unexpected situation arises. During software development, the goal is to avoid false positives wherever possible. Automatic triggers are designed to minimize over-activation, ensuring cameras record only when necessary and not during sensitive interactions or irrelevant events. As an example, it is hard to think of a situation where an officer has their gun drawn while on patrol and the camera should be off. On the other hand, an “officer running” trigger is too ambiguous. While it may help capture foot pursuits, it can also activate recordings during non-critical situations—like an officer jogging during a wellness break or participating in a community event. These false positives can contribute to unnecessary storage usage, erode trust in the system and create additional review burdens for supervisors. 

Versaterm Visual Labs has developed numerous automatic triggers, including a gun holster trigger, speed trigger, officer injury trigger and emergency light activation trigger. The solution offers unlimited cloud storage, coupled with automatic in-field upload that mitigates any concerns about running out of storage space.  

Enhance Community Trust Through Advanced Camera Technology

The integration of in-vehicle and body-worn cameras in law enforcement has transformed the way officers engage with the community. Improved accountability and transparency are only some of the advantages that these cameras provide. The debate between manual and automatic activation presents some complexities. However, it is necessary to consider the balance of officer safety with the need for accurate documentation of police-community interactions.   

Learn more about how Versaterm Visual Labs can help keep your officers safe and improve your relationship with the community through the resources below. You can also schedule a personalized meeting with one of our experts today. 

Evolving Body Camera Laws: A Tool for Restoring Community Trust 

Redefining Body Worn Cameras