SANTA ANA – Police will discuss the challenges and benefits of body cameras at a community forum Thursday, as the Santa Ana Police Department works on crafting a policy for potential use of the devices.

An “exploratory group” made up of 20 members — including a mix of veteran and less-tenured Santa Ana police officers and a representative from the Police Officers Association — is researching best practices and a range of cameras as more cities are requiring police to wear cameras that record video and audio of interactions with the public.

In February, the Fullerton Police Department became the first agency in Orange County to outfit every field officer with a body camera.

Among the benefits, Santa Ana police said body cameras could help reduce use of force, “frivolous” lawsuits, and boost community trust.

But there are challenges.

Santa Ana police Commander Jason Viramontes in a report acknowledged a list of potential challenges when considering a policy for body cameras, such as when the recording should start and where the officer should wear the device.

The department is also looking into who has the final say in whether a video gets released, and the costs associated with managing public records requests to access the footage.

Viramontes also considered the costs associated with reviewing and redacting the footage because it’s “sensitive information,” he said.

“It may take hours and hours to actually go through it, review it, redact the sensitive information before we release. That could be very, very costly as well,” Viramontes said.

Santa Ana police have estimated that outfitting officers with body cameras could cost $1 million. The department has submitted an application through the Department of Justice for a $700,000 grant to cover costs associated with the exploratory group and toward funding a potential pilot program for body cameras.

Gaby Hernandez is with Chicanos Unidos — a grass-roots group that has been fighting against a Santa Ana gang injunction — and said body cameras could bring more accountability

“They (police body cameras) could bring more transparency … but at the same time, there has to be a system that holds police accountable,” she said.

The body camera discussion is about two months after a Santa Ana police shooting left 27-year-old Ernesto Canepa dead. Dozens have protested the fatal shooting in the streets and at a Santa Ana City Council meeting.

Contact the writer: amolina@ocregister.com