The St. Petersburg Police Department is testing a gun mounted camera. The small camera fits on the rail under a barrel normally used for flashlights and other devices. The camera is activated every time it's pulled out of the holster and records exactly where the weapon is pointed. It's WIFI and Bluetooth connected and sends its location to commanders and nearby officers, alerting them to the situation.

Source: Centinel Solutions

Last year, there were 205 incidents in which officers with the St. Petersburg Police Department drew their weapons. The city is the 5th largest in Florida and had 20 homicides in 2015. The department already uses dash cameras in traffic vehicles, transport vans and in a gang unit.

The company who makes them, Centinel Solutions, says:

"The Centinel Solutions Shield Police Gun Camera can provide a more complete picture of officer-involved shootings that other systems cannot. By combining the first-person point-of-view perspective with advanced recording and storage software, the Shield Camera ensures unobstructed justice for law enforcement and the community."

The city and the department is considering cameras in order to build trust, said Anthony Holloway, Chief of Police with the St. Petersburg Police Department in Florida.

"People want to hold police officers accountable and know that the way force was used was appropriate," said Ron Brooks, a former California cop with 38 years' experience who now runs consulting firm Brooks Bawden and is advising Centinel on their marketing strategy.

Centinel Solutions says:

"Our communities and our officers shouldn't have to rely on bystander smartphones to capture the true story of officer-involved shootings. The Shield Police Gun Camera has one objective: to easily and accurately capture the circumstances of a use-of-force event from start to finish. Where other camera systems fall short, the Centinel Solutions Shield Camera excels by providing officers and citizens with a better, unobstructed perspective during crucial moments without hindering an officer's ability to act."

Gun-mounted cameras are a part of the estimated $1 billion annual U.S. market for law enforcement camera hardware and software.