Video recording in police cars has become more and more widespread throughout North
Carolina in recent years. The major benefit of such a system is that the video illustrates the interaction between officers and suspects. Such recordings have proven to be invaluable to the criminal justice process because they serve as admissible evidence for both the prosecution and defense. Some states require such video recordings; however, not all police vehicles in North Carolina are equipped with such systems due to the high costs of installation and upkeep.
The legislature in North Carolina is beginning to push to have all highway patrol police vehicles equipped with such camera systems. Also, local police departments are beginning to petition for such cameras within their vehicles. One such department is Gastonia, the seat in Gaston County. Recently, the Gastonia City Council approved a request by the police department to nearly $119,000 of federal asset forfeiture money and $188,000 from a Justice Assistance Grant to install such systems. The money will allow the police department to have forty wireless video systems added to police vehicles. While this will help prosecutors, it will also prove a valuable tool to defense attorneys.
