The recent rash of violent and deadly confrontations between people and police in the nation has some civil rights activists in the Bay area asking police to start wearing cameras.

The National Christian League Coalition sent letters to both police chiefs in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, asking that they make body cams a part of every street officer's uniform.

Similar cameras are being used by police in Missouri now after riots erupted when police shot and killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown.

"We don't need to be waiting for something horrific to happen here to ignite some type of racial incident," said NCLC director Sevell Brown (no relation).

St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway says he's studying the issue, but has some concerns about the cost and the proper way officers should use it.

In a written statement to Bay News 9, Clearwater Chief Daniel Slaughter appears ready to move forward with the technology.

"We foresee it taking approximately a year to get all the policy, union and privacy issues resolved and the body cameras in use."

The Tampa Police Department plan to start a pilot program in January to test the body cameras on selected officers.