MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ A police force in a Minneapolis suburb is outfitting its officers with cameras mounted on their handguns amid calls for more transparency in police shootings.

The West Hennepin County Safety Department says the $7,200 cameras are significantly less expensive than body cameras. The department tested the weapon-mounted cameras over the past year as part of a pilot project.

The 3-inch long camera sits in front of the trigger and includes a flashlight. The camera activates as an officer draws their gun from its holster.

The Farmington Police Department has also started using the technology.

The cameras are sold by Viridian Weapon Technologies in Maple Plain. The company's CEO and president, Brian Hedeen, says 250 departments across the country are testing or working on implementing the cameras.

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