CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – City government’s top watchdog says superiors in the Chicago Police Department have not been watching closely enough to see whether officers are using their body cameras the right way, if at all. Most Chicago police officers are outfitted with body cameras. Inspector General Joseph Ferguson said supervising lieutenants are supposed to make random checks — watching at least one video per shift – but have not been doing this.
Because of that, Ferguson said, it is hard to determine whether the cameras are being used as they should.The cameras could go a long way toward restoring public trust in policing, he said.
The CPD acknowledges the problems and has taken steps to correct them, the inspector general said.Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said discussions about the body cameras will be regular among brass, from now on. Two-thirds of the lieutenants were reviewing cameras as they should, while a third of them were not, Johnson said.
