A new blog post from Samsung highlights how its Galaxy Z Flip series devices are being adopted by law enforcement, starting with a pilot program at Kimberling City Police and Indian Point Police in Missouri two years ago to test how the electronics could improve daily operations. Samsung mentions this as the first time a foldable device was used as a bodycam by police, leading to two more police departments signing on to use the Flip devices as bodycams. The program’s success has now extended to 25 metro police departments in five states. The Flip devices used for police testing were customized in collaboration with Visual Labs, making it easier and faster to start recording in the field with modifications like remapping the volume button to start the camera. This is a surprising use case for Samsung, but not uncommon in the tech industry, with companies like Ring also facing scrutiny over policies related to law enforcement. Beyond bodycams, there are ongoing debates about the use of technologies like facial recognition and drones by law enforcement.
