FY21 BWC - City of Hermitage, PA

The CITY OF HERMITAGE is requesting funding for body-worn cameras to be used to support a new body-worn camera implementation. The funds will be used to support the following activities: the development and implementation of policies and practices for effective program adoption, the purchase, deployment, and maintenance of camera systems and equipment, as well as data storage, access, and privacy considerations.

The City intends to purchase up to 31 body-worn cameras. The body-worn cameras would complement the current use of in-car dash cameras by extending video and audio recording to wherever the officer goes. This would allow events to be documented from two different perspectives, as opposed to one.

The service area that would be supported by the new body-worn camera program would encompass the entirety of the City’s 29.7 square miles, and include Wheatland Borough (0.8 sq miles) and Clark Borough (3.0 sq miles) and over 17,000 residents who reside in the City of Hermitage and Wheatland Borough and Clark Borough.

The proposed project will greatly benefit the community as a whole. Implementing a strong body-worn camera program will be instrumental for establishing transparency in the community, benefitting citizens, City management and staff, and the police department. Body-worn cameras will aid in the daily administrative duties and field operations of police officers in a manner that improves criminal justice outcomes, including improvements in officer and citizen safety. The program will promote professional behavior and deter illegal and inappropriate behavior by both law enforcement and the public. The body-worn cameras will enhance officers’ duties and promote efficiency by allowing its users to more accurately document events, conditions, and statements made during incidents. It will also enhance the user's ability to prepare reports and present court testimony as well as assist the Hermitage Police Department with investigations of alleged misconduct.