By a unanimous
vote at its September 7 meeting, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners
approved a program to equip Fulton County Police with body-worn and in-car cameras.
The Board voted in support of contracting with Utility Associates, Inc. to
purchase the devices some law enforcement experts credit with enhancing
transparency and public trust, promoting accountability, and improving
community and officer safety.
“The dash cameras and body
cams will be a beneficial tool to protect our police force on the front lines
and respond to any citizen’s questions about an officer’s actions,” said Fulton
County Board of Commissioners Chairman John Eaves. “We will establish policies
and procedures for using the technology but in the end, it will enhance the
accountability of our already top-notch police department.”
“I am very pleased
that the BOC approved the purchase of in car and body cameras from Utility,”
said Fulton County Police Chief Gary Stiles. “This product and company offers
the equipment, storage, and support that best fits my department’s needs.”
The body-worn and in-car
camera system enables video and audio recording from the perspective of the
officer involved in interactions with civilians. The body camera system
is designed to archive, manage, and quickly retrieve video data that meets or
exceeds federal, state, and local standards. The county will acquire
approximately 170 body/in-car cameras.
Among the features of the
new devices are:
•
Vehicle sensor - activates the body camera
when the light bar is activated; officers also have manual activation
capabilities
•
Officer down activation – the camera
automatically starts recording if an officer is down, which alerts 911
dispatchers
•
Wi-Fi – the system turns each vehicle into a
Wi-Fi “hotspot”
•
Immediate wireless uploading – precludes
officers having to use docking stations to upload at the end of their shift
•
Mounting system built into the officer’s
uniform - decreases the likelihood of the camera becoming dislodged
•
Redaction capability - protects the privacy
and identity of victims, innocent bystanders, and minors
In the past, body-worn
cameras have also served as a valuable tool assisting police in their investigations.
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