Transparency Equipment Improvement

The funding requested will be used to purchase in-car cameras for each of the squad cars in our department. The funding provided for this grant would fund the first phase of our implementation plan. Phase one includes updating all video and storage capabilities for the police department. When there is video from an event it can be used in many ways. A video of any event can be used to keep law enforcement and civilians safe from either side that may not fully remember or try to change the actual events that took place. A video many times may show if an Officer has responded appropriately to the nature of a call. Another very important use of video is the ability to locate evidence that may not initially be seen by an officer in the line of duty as things can escalate extremely fast. The use of in car cameras may also aid other agencies if a crime or crimes take place in multiple jurisdictions. In this event each agency can share information or evidence in a case by sharing video from each jurisdiction. As law enforcement moves forward now more than ever, video of an event is a key factor in making sure the outcome of an event is based on absolute fact. Every taxpayer deserves to be treated fair and with professionalism. This is our first phase and with this system, these cameras and storage system will provide the platform and avoid duplication as we will next implement body cameras that will work in conjunction with this system, utilizing the same data storage unit(s). The overall goal will be to have as much of our interaction with the community on video as possible. This not only helps to make sure citizens are treated fairly, but it also may protect law enforcement. The other way it will affect our community will be from the training aspect. As video footage is reviewed it will also be used as a training aid for Officers to assess and train how well they follow policies and procedures.