Smile, you're on cop cam

Police in San Jose, California, are testing head-mounted cameras to record interactions with the public.

The test using 18 patrol officers follows complaints from citizen groups that the department uses excessive force during arrests.

Officers turn on the cameras every time they talk to the public and download the recordings after every shift.

The cameras are the size of a Bluetooth phone earpieces and attach by a headband above the ear.

San Jose is the first major US city to test the devices, made by Arizona-based Taser International, which is paying for the kits for 1400 officers.

Each kit costs US$1,700, plus a $99 per officer monthly fee.