If you carry a concealed firearm for protection, you should also wear a body camera and potentially an audio recording device if legally allowed. If you feel uncomfortable wearing recording devices because you might record evidence that can be used against you, you probably shouldn’t be carrying a concealed firearm. The footage you capture can prevent you from being charged with a crime or relying too heavily on law enforcement, which, as discussed in previous posts, can be problematic.
Most concealed carriers want to avoid wearing an obvious body camera. They would look like a plain-clothes police officer. Depending on where you are going, this trade-off may be acceptable. For example, going to and from your car is a prime time for robbery. For example, having a body camera around your neck may deter robbers. Alternatively, if ordinary civilians believe you to be a plain-clothes police officer, you may get pulled into violence that isn’t your business. I also doubt that throwing one of these on when pulled over or questioned by a police officer will improve the conversation.
At this point, we need to investigate hidden body cameras. After all, a hidden camera is the way to go if you carry concealed. Unfortunately, there are several problems with these cameras:
- No night vision / poor low-light recording.
- The environment must be well-lit.
- Reflections can blind the lens.
- No stability correction.
- Not waterproof, dustproof, or impact resistant.
- They may not be compatible with how concealed carriers dress.
- They may be blocked should the concealed carrier draw their firearm.
- They do not have an impact or firearm discharge file marking / no-overwrite capability.
These are substantial problems for a concealed carrier. One may want to consider a weapon-mounted camera, but as we learned in other posts, the National Firearm Survey of 2021 showed that the firearm is not discharged around 82 percent of the time. In almost 33 percent of the cases, the firearm is not even displayed, only discussed. Therefore, a weapon-mounted camera would not be helpful in these circumstances.
If there is good news, 79 percent of civilian defensive gun uses happen at home or on the home’s property. This percentage indicates home security should be a top priority for any civilian. As I cover in my book, many home camera options are available.
But what about the other 21 percent of the time? Unfortunately, there is no discrete portable recording device that I can recommend for a concealed carrier. The market may adjust, and we’ll get some quality products to evaluate.