HOUSTON -- The use of tasers by police officers has been at the center of controversy in Houston and across the country. To hopefully quiet critics, the Houston Police Department is considering putting cameras on all tasers. While the department hopes the cameras will help justify the use of the weapons, some officers question whether the results will justify the expense, the KPRC Local 2 Troubleshooters reported Tuesday.

Right now the department is only testing the idea. The question from other officers is whether these cameras will prove to be nothing more than an expensive redundancy.

Police departments have long supported tasers as a way to subdue violent suspects without using deadly force.

But there are several critics who claim Houston police officers are a little too quick to use what is a very painful weapon.

"Anytime we use them, we are confronting individuals who are so out of control and displaying such violent behavior that the officers don't have any other option," said Lt. Robert Manzo with the Houston Police Department.

To hopefully settle the debate, the Houston Police Department is strongly considering purchasing tiny cameras for every taser in the department.

The new cameras are actually part of a modified battery pack, which can record up to 90 minutes of both audio and video.

Manzo said they will be no different than cameras in patrol cars.

"We have been able to use them in court as evidence to prove our case, so this situation won't be any different," he said.

The only trick is the cameras won't start recording until the officer turns on the taser. That means, in many cases, the cameras will only record the shot and what happens after, not what led up to it.

"If you don't trust that officer to use that weapon, then you shouldn't have issued it to them in the first place," said J.J. Berry with the Houston Police Officers Union.

Berry questions the need for cameras because the department already does a thorough investigation each time a taser is used.

"I believe that that's adequate enough protection in terms of proving to the public that discharge was proper and the use was proper," he said.

Berry is also concerned about cost during a time the department is strapped for funds. Each camera costs $400. If the department decides to put cameras on all 3,700 tasers, that's nearly $1.5 million.

"If that's the issue, I think this expenditure is a little unreasonable," Berry said.

Right now, the cameras are being tested with 20 officers in different parts of the city. The department has set no deadline for when it will conclude the test and make a decision. It all depends on how often the 20 test officers use their tasers.

Chief Harold Hurtt believes the cameras will not only settle the controversial issue, but the video can also be used as part of training new officers in the use of the weapons.