Replacements

CPD officers receiving new body-worn cameras

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The Crawfordsville Police Department is equipping officers with new body-worn cameras designed to be automatically activated.

The department received approval Wednesday from the Board of Public Works and Safety to purchase the cameras in a six-year agreement with manufacturer BodyWorn. The cameras replace the current devices manufactured by Digital Ally.

The new cameras are designed to turn on when an officer arrives on a call and continuously record even when not activated. The footage would be stored in a cloud-based storage system.

“It really affords the opportunity for as much [footage] to be captured as possible,” said police chief Aaron Mattingly, who alluded to the rhetoric over recent police shootings in seeking the upgrade.

The cameras will also activate following a loud noise such as a gunshot or when an officer is in a prone position for an extended period of time or draws a weapon.

“Does that include a taser?” board member Erin Corbin asked.

Mattingly said only a firearm activates the cameras. “Instances where the tasers are deployed, generally speaking, we’re actively on the call anyway,” he said.

Attorneys and media outlets could receive access to footage approved for release through a link with an expiration date meant to prevent the video from being downloaded long after the incident, Mattingly said.

Crawfordsville officers have been wearing body cameras for about a decade. BodyWorn is the same manufacturer used by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Funding for the cameras comes from the public income safety tax. Cost for the first year is $136,597.50. The cost is $63,745.50 per year for the rest of the agreement.


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