AGUIRRE
By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Within the year, Police Chief Bart Aguirre would like to see every Tupelo patrol officer with a body camera.
“When we start working on the 2016 budget, I plan on putting in a line item for body cameras for all the patrol officers,” said Aguirre. “It will probably cost around $75,000 to cover the K-9 handlers, the Street Crimes Unit and the Patrol Division.”
The Tupelo Police Department hopes to use federal funds to jump-start the project. TPD and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office have applied for a $14,332 Justice Assistance Grant which will be divided evenly.
“We are looking at two different vendors,” said Aguirre. “You have to have something that is compatible with the in-car camera system.
“When you add up the cost of the camera, the batteries and the additional storage space, they run about $1,000 per unit, so the grant will not buy that many.”
Earlier this year, the department tested the body cameras of one vendor. They will have about a half-dozen cameras from the second vendor next week.
“We’ll try them out for about a month,” said Aguirre. “Not only will the officers get to see how they look and feel, we will also be looking at the resolution of the camera, the clarity of the playback and the field of view.”
The two vendors also have different pricing. One company sells cameras, accessories and storage separately for one-time payments. The other company sells a complete unit, including software, for a yearly fee with new cameras every two years.
Recent civil unrest and riots around the country after officer-involved shootings have prompted many departments to look into body cameras.
“With everything going on around the country, we want our officers to be safe,” said Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Randle. “If something bad does happen, we want to have the video to prove what happened.”
Columbus Police Chief Tony Carleton agreed. His department has 50 cameras covering all patrolmen.
“At first there was some hesitancy, but the officers like them now,” said Carleton. “You are able to write a more accurate report.
“The defense attorneys don’t like them, because it is another piece of evidence we can use in court.”
The Aberdeen Police Department went with a less expensive (around $120) model of camera. It ordered 10 cameras in April and plans to order 10 more in October to cover the rest of the officers.
“We have been using them on a trial basis for about a month and haven’t had any complaints,” said Randle. “They say they will work under water. We haven’t tested that. We’re going to take their word for it.”
william.moore@journalinc.com
