HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston police chief wants $8 million to equip his 3,500 officers with body cameras.  

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1tIZ5D7 ) Chief Charles McClelland said Thursday he wants to phase in the cameras over three years to record encounters between law enforcement officers and residents. He says it will improve accountability and transparency.

The cameras are roughly the size of a pager and can be clipped to the front of a uniform shirt. The officers would have to manually turn them on.

Mayor Annise Parker says the cameras could be useful and she is attempting to find funding for them.

Houston Police Officers' Union officials have expressed concerns that an officer could accidently or intentionally fail to activate a camera.

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