Eagle Point, Ore. — Cops wearing cameras on their bodies is something that’s becoming more and more common across the country and in the Rogue Valley.
Recently, a fight between an officer and a suspect in Texas recorded on a camera inside his patrol car and one on his body, corroborated his version of events and cleared the cop of wrongdoing.
Like many police forces across the U.S. departments in Ashland and Medford are looking into getting their own cameras for officers to wear.
In Ashland, Deputy Chief Corey Falls said the department has been recording audio for the last seven years. They also have cameras on their tasers. However, this will be the first time they will buy a camera designed to be worn by an officer that records both video and audio.
APD is currently testing two cameras. They expect they’ll purchase about 18 cameras for their patrol officers.
Medford Police is looking at outfitting between 60-70 of their patrol officers with cameras.
Both departments are trying to plan out their budgets for the devices, which have come down in price as technology advances. The costliest part is making sure there’s enough storage for the data.
APD and MPD will be shopping for the right cameras at a national police chief conference in October.
According to Chief Vern Thompson with the Eagle Point Police Department, Central Point PD was the first to have their officers wear cameras in the Rogue Valley.
Captain Brian Day with Central Point PD, says the department bought brand new ones in July of this year. He said since CPD started recording incidents, they’ve had virtually zero complaints. According to Day there are guidelines in place for situations, like traffic stops, in which officers should turn their cameras on.
Eagle Point police have cameras as well and are reporting success.
“It audio and video records what’s in front of the camera at a 180-degree angle,” said Thompson.
According to Thompson, they have been using the small devices for over a year and it’s been a big benefit to his police force.
“They’re being used for evidentiary value to record anything out there. People, crime scenes, victim statements, those kinds of things,” said Thompson.
Officers are required to carry them when they’re on duty. EPD has five of them, which get rotated.
In addition not only does the camera keep officers accountable, it protects them as well.
“If someone were to make a false claim about our police officer, and we have a video recording of it, it would show that it did or did not happen,” Thompson explained.
According to Thompson, officers are responsible for turning on the camera and informing the person that the situation is being recorded. However on the other end, the person confronted by an officer can also ask for the camera to be turned on.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.