Houston police chief wants body cameras that automatically record HPD Chief Art Acevedo says change would increase transparency and trust, and make officers' work easier

Houston Police officers T. R. Huerta, left, and J. C. Elizondo﻿ adjust their ﻿body cameras during an April 2016 news conference at HPD Central Patrol Station﻿.﻿ About 200 officers received cameras, the first wave of outfitting 4,100 officers over 12-18 months. less Houston Police officers T. R. Huerta, left, and J. C. Elizondo﻿ adjust their ﻿body cameras during an April 2016 news conference at HPD Central Patrol Station﻿.﻿ About 200 officers received cameras, the ... more Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photo: Melissa Phillip, Staff Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Houston police chief wants body cameras that automatically record 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The new Houston police chief said this week that he wants officers’ body cameras to start recording automatically when they leave their vehicles instead of requiring officers to manually start them.

In an interview Monday with the Chronicle’s editorial board, HPD Chief Art Acevedo said it is one of his top priorities to increase transparency and build confidence with the community.

“When you have a camera that was available to the officer, and it’s not on, no matter how righteous that use of force was, no matter how justified the response of the officer to the subject’s actions,” Acevedo said, “the last thing you need is to have a camera off.”

The chief, who started work two weeks ago after coming from the Austin police department, said automatic recordings also would make officers’ work easier.

“When an officer turns a corner and they see a person being shot or assaulted or stabbed, the last thing they should be worrying about is hitting a button,” he said.

Protesters criticized the department's body-camera policies after Mayor Sylvester Turner released police video from the July shooting of 38-year-old Alva Braziel.

The 18 minutes of footage began with video from store surveillance equipment across the street, but the body camera footage only started after 38-year-old Alva Braziel had been shot. It shows officers approaching Braziel as he lay in the middle of Cullen Boulevard in a blood-stained shirt, clutching a pistol. As a felon, he was not authorized to have a firearm.

City Council approved a $3.4 million contract with body-camera company Watchguard in November 2015. The total cost for the 4,100 cameras – the first wave of which was deployed in April – is pegged at $8 million for the first five years. HPD has said much of the cost goes to data storage.

One million dollars comes from the Harris County district attorney’s asset-forefeiture funds, which also contributed $900,000 to the sheriff’s office for its body camera project.