Cop car cameras: Is there a negative?

If someone told me my bosses were installing cameras to record my every move while I was working, I wouldn't be happy.

Not that I've got anything to hide. But don't they trust me, I'd want to know?

For some reason, though, I'm not getting that reaction from cops, who are about to have video cameras installed in their squad cars.

"I think it's great," Sgt. Art Mendoza says of the decision to install cameras in the LAPD's South Bureau squad cars at a cost of $5 million, with plans to eventually go citywide for another $20 million or so.

I hung out with Mendoza and other officers working the night shift Thursday in the 77th Street Division. Sgt. Rene Chavez and Sgt. Mike Castaneda agreed with Mendoza. The more transparency the better, they say, because it will mean greater public trust, which means it'll be easier for cops to do their jobs.

I don't doubt that they believe that, but I wonder if a little of what I'm hearing is an echo from on high. Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton is a believer and, as Cmdr. Andy Smith puts it, cameras could deter lawsuits "where people say we did crazy things, which of course we didn't do." Even the Police Protective League is on board.

Hey, in a department that has the Rampart and Rodney King scandals in its history book, who isn't for greater accountability? But my instinct is to assume the folks at City Hall might be buying lousy camera equipment that will break down in six months, or that they got suckered on the price, or that the system will create as many problems as it solves.

For gang-related crimes, it's hard enough to get witnesses to cooperate with police for fear of retaliation. Will witnesses be even less inclined to step up if they know they're on camera?

And not to nitpick, but my understanding is that the initial $5 million is supposed to outfit 300 cars. By my math, that's nearly $17,000 per vehicle. Which means that, once again, I've stumbled upon hard evidence that I got into the wrong business.

And as explained to me by Officer Jason Lee in the LAPD's media relations office, each car will have two cameras -- one pointing straight ahead and one pointing back into the car from the area near the rearview mirror. For $5 million, shouldn't we be able to see what happens on the left or right side of the vehicle too?