The body camera discussion is capturing our attention once again, but this time, for a reason you probably haven't thought about: terrorism.
Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters says the threat of terrorism is just one more reason why his officers need body cameras. And he says it's making the need even more urgent.
Masters says the city of Riviera Beach is an international city, pointing to active sites in the city like the ports, Homeland Security, even the marina. Having body cameras, he says, will add to the sense of security to the community.
“If you have a camera you can at least see what went on," said Masters.
The question is, how real is the threat locally and how would body cameras actually help in the case of a terror attack?
Former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan says while there could be an attack anywhere these days, the Riviera Beach locations mentioned by the mayor are probably not major terrorist target locations.
“These individuals, what they want to do and what they aspire to do, is to kill as many people as possible. And they are looking for places where people will congregate or gather in large venues," said Kaplan.
Kaplan says body cameras would not deter a terrorist, and the mayor agrees.
At the very least, Masters says the cameras can add an extra layer of security for the community by capturing what happened.