One of the items funded in this fiscal year's budget was eight body cameras for Roanoke Rapids police officers.
And now the officers are about ready to hit the streets with them, Chief Thomas Hathaway said Tuesday.
“They're capable of real time audio and video in poor conditions — rain and snow,” said Lieutenant Andy Bryant. “They're used to support officers statements in court. They're of evidentiary value related to court cases.”
The body cameras, which can be activated with a touch of a button, help beyond in-car cameras, Hathaway said. “The system augments what we already have and what officers are seeing. It offers a system of checks and balances on erroneous complaints. It gives us a chance to review complaints. It gives us a chance to randomly pull video and see how the officers are performing.”
Department policy will dictate that any officer involved in any encounters with citizens while on call must turn the camera on.
Several Roanoke Rapids officers already have their own body cameras, administrators within the police department said. “Most of them want it,” said Hathaway.
The police chief said the technology will come in handy in any situation where an officer must deal with the public. “I wish 20 years ago we had this technology. Any time we have a new technology we should take advantage of it. It's quality assurance and checks and balances.”
Not only will the cameras help protect officers, they will help the public, said Hathaway. “We want the public to know we are here doing the best job we can to protect citizens, property and quality of life.”
While the current budget only funded eight cameras, Hathaway said Bryant is looking into grant funding to buy more.
While the eight Digital Ally body cameras have the latest technology, the device connecting to computer through a USB port, they are not new to most police departments across the country and state, Captain Andy Jackson said. Some 16,000 law enforcement officers officers use them. “They want it. It helps them.”