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San Jose Police Begin Testing Body Cameras

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- San Jose police begin testing body cameras worn in the field Monday.

The cameras will have to be on during all interactions with the public, including traffic stops and whenever an officer suspects a crime is being committed.

Officers will sometimes have the option to turn them off.

Some critics, including former independent police auditor LaDoris Cordell, said the department's body camera policy has large loopholes, leaving officers too much wiggle room about when the cameras are turned on and off.

"I think that is absolutely problematic," Cordell told KPIX 5. "The deactivation of the camera, when to turn it off, should not be left to the discretion of an officer."

A spokesperson for the police department says the policy is clear. The cameras should be on, for example, during traffic stops, when the officer thinks someone may be committing a crime or even during more routine interactions with the public if a person is getting upset or combative.

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