The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is so happy with some new numbers, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo wants to use them to get more funding.
The National Institute of Justice funded the yearlong study that just wrapped up; it was entirely focused on body-worn cameras.
From NFL player Michael Bennett detained on the strip, to an armed naked man running outside of a valley church, even to October 1, Metro's body cameras show us all the chaos officers see when they respond.
Many Las Vegans agree that body cameras on law enforcement officers makes them feel more comfortable.
Now, the department has numbers to back up how valuable body cameras are in risky situations.
The study created a group of officers with cameras and a group without. The findings are strong:
-30 percent drop in officers doing the wrong thing
-37 percent drop in police getting violent
-Lombardo says the cameras have cleared the names of hundreds of accused officers, while at least one officer was fired because of video evidence.
"Body-worn cameras have brought out the positive in law enforcement and the professionalism of this department," said Lombardo.
The study says body cameras could save metro $4 million a year in legal fees. That's why metro wants to buy even more, above the nearly 2,000 that are rolling now.
