The majority of 100 Houston Police Department officers who have field tested body cameras over a recent two-month period called it a positive experience, though many expressed concern that the technology could endanger officer safety or be used by superiors to discipline them, according to an internal report obtained this week by the Houston Chronicle.

That technology is expected to be adopted department-wide beginning this summer as a way to increase police accountability.

In late 2013, Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland began to invest in body-worn cameras instead of expanding the 200 dashboard cameras already installed in the HPD's 4,000-car fleet because of concerns expressed by citizens about use-of-force incidents -including the fatal shooting of a double-amputee in a wheelchair. In December 2013, McClelland spent $155,000 to outfit 100 officers from five different divisions with small Vievu LE 2 cameras worn on the front of officers' uniforms. After more than 70 days of testing, HPD invited officers to feedback sessions and asked them to participate in an online survey.

The technology is becoming part of a nationwide debate following recent protests over use-of-force incidents in Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo. But field tests so far in Houston show that it also has helped bolster officers' accounts in investigations of citizens' complaints.

Reluctant to use force

In one case, a body camera video later helped confirm the validity of an on-scene confession, the survey showed.

In all, 72 officers who responded to the survey rated the body camera experience either very positive, positive or somewhat positive. Only 7 officers found the experience unacceptable, according to the report.

Some officers complained they felt reluctant to use necessary force on suspects -or even forceful language - for fear of being accused by superiors of abusive behavior. Others said they were distracted by the camera, reacted more slowly instead of relying on their "natural reactions," or even placed themselves in a dangerous position during a traffic stop to get a better camera angle on the scene.

"Having to remember to activate a camera when engaging in a foot pursuit, ending a car chase or approaching a vehicle in a traffic stop reduces focus on the task at hand," said one officer surveyed.

But it's still unclear when officers will have to turn on - or off -those cameras, and HPD has refused to release a draft policy it's developing.

Several officers complained about "vague guidelines" for use of their test cameras. That same complaint is also being raised by two Houston attorneys defending two different residents whose arrests were recorded with the cameras.

Incorrect dates

Defense attorney Phil Gommels said HPD, through discovery, provided him with two partial videos made of the same arrest of his client, Ramsey Thomas, a 45-year-old plant supervisor. Both appear to have begun long after officers pulled over Thomas for running a stop sign and then searched his car and found a gun and charged him with illegal possession of that weapon.

Gommels said neither of the clips showed the correct date of his client's arrest. Nor did the videos record traffic violations the officers cited to justify their stop or their subsequent search of the car, Gommels said.

"President Obama, on the heels of Ferguson and Baltimore, suggested the body camera might be the answer to dealing with police misconduct. But as long as police officers are in control of when the cameras is on and when it is off, they can't be relied upon to document their own misconduct," said Gommels, a former Harris County prosecutor.

Body cameras report

In response to an open records request from the Houston Chronicle, HPD says it has a obtained a decision from the Texas Attorney General's office that allows it to withhold its draft policy governing camera use while it develops a final version. The department did release a one-page internal circular that instructs officers to use the cameras "to document any law enforcement related activity that occurs during the officer's shift" including traffic stops, calls for service and arrests.

The cost of equipping all Houston police with cameras, as planned, is $8 million. Houston Mayor Annise Parker included $2.8 million for HPD body cameras in the next year's budget. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson has pledged another $1.9 million in forfeiture funds for both HPD and the Sheriff's Office.

'A police officer can forget'

McClelland said he plans to begin equipping a total of 3,500 officers by summer's end. The chief said he wants HPD officers to film all police actions, but noted that body camera technology differs from dashboard cameras, which are automatically activated by emergency lights and other triggers.

"With body cameras the officers have to physically turn the camera on, and many times officers exit their police cars to chase someone, that may not be the first thing on their mind - a police officer can forget," said McClelland.

McClelland said officers should not film in certain situations, including interviews with sexual assault victims or juveniles, officers' bathroom breaks and discussions with prosecutors or supervisors. And they should have the discretion not to film an informant who wants to supply tips anonymously and not to film inside a private home, such as during a burglary investigation.

HPD plans to keep crime videos for at least the length of the statute of limitations and will delete videos not associated with any crime after 90 days, he said. Videos of municipal citations will be retained for 2 years.

Houston attorney Cory Roth is representing a woman charged with marijuana possession, but the HPD video of her arrest was delivered in three segments that excluded much of the encounter. The officer's written incident report indicated two marijuana cigarettes were in plain view, but a video showed that evidence was found after the officer searched the car's console and ash tray.

"My concern is the officer did not continuously record the entire arrest," said Roth. "Jurors in Texas expect their law enforcement to follow the rules, to use the best technology possible and do the best job possible. It appears this officer did not follow the rules, but I need that policy to know for certain."