 Well, after a police involved shooting in Minneapolis led to unanswered questions, the topic of body cameras are rising to the surface. Sarah Winkelman spoke with local law enforcement about their body camera procedures. The major function for body worn cameras is to capture evidence from police citizen encounters. The Crosslake Police Department has had the cameras in use for all of their officers since December. The cameras have been great. I mean, it's produced a lot of evidence that we wouldn't have had before. But the big question is, when exactly do they need to be turned on? On the way to a call, if it's going to produce some evidentiary value again, then we should have it on. Should we have it on when we're preparing for a call if we get into the area? If time allows you to do that where it's not an officer safety issue, we want to turn on the cameras. If the camera was not on during an encounter, a report must be filed, explaining why the camera was not turned on or what technical issue occurred. A lot of variables with it working, with it pointing in the right direction, with the officers remembering to turn it on, with the technology working with each other to make sure that it's turned on. The Crosslake Police Department is currently the only one in Crow Wing County using body cameras. However, the Brainerd Police Department is in the process of purchasing them. It'll help us prepare better cases for prosecution. It'll more accurately document, you know, different circumstances and the details involved in all the different things we've become involved in. Even though that department doesn't have the equipment in place yet, they had a testing period where they laid out expectations. For the most part, in citizen encounters out on the street, our expectation is that the cameras are turned on. Taking into consideration the technology aspect, things can still go wrong and the Crosslake Police Department has noticed these technical issues. It isn't the cure-all. I mean, it's a great system. It produces a lot of things that we didn't have before, but just because it's on or it's not going to get you exactly what you need all the time. There are many unique variables as to why and how the body camera didn't produce any quality footage, but their use will prove helpful to the community. Reporting in Brainerd, Sarah Winkelman, Lakeland News. The Brainerd Police Department is seeking approval from the City Council at the next meeting in August if approved the cameras will be implemented by October. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.