Police officers in the city of Carmel by the Sea have all been assigned a body camera and the devices hit the street the week before Christmas
Blog note: this article references a county grand jury report suggesting the purchase and use of body cameras.
Police officers in the city of Carmel by the Sea have all been assigned a body camera and the devices hit the street the week before Christmas.
The cameras, which consist of a small thick box affix to the front of an officer’s uniform. The devices record video, audio and can take still photographs.
The department spent $20,000 to buy 13 cameras, the software that goes with them and a server to house the data.
Carmel police are asking officers to turn on their body cameras anytime they make contact.
“I like it,” said officer David DiMaggio who was out demoing his camera on Friday.
DiMaggio said it increases transparency between the police and the public and the new Chief said that is what the body cameras are all about.
“It’s about transparency,” he said.
Chief Paul Tomasi said a Monterey County Grand Jury report focusing on law enforcement suggested departments purchases and implement body cameras.
Tomasi said the devices will not only increase transparency but will be used as a learning tool. Officers will be able to review footage and see what they’re doing right and what can be improved.
The department has decided not to use cloud storage but instead to store the video in house on a server. Tomasi said the department will store all video for up to a year and then delete.
Exceptions will be made for video involved in incidents or court cases.
December 30, 2016
KSBW The Central Coast
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