1 day Ago
The Scarborough Police Department is requesting voter approval in November’s elections for nearly $997,000 toward a purchase agreement for body-worn and in-car cameras capable of providing quality audio and video recordings of police operational activities. The equipment will be used by sworn officers to record certain interactions while on duty. The use of the equipment will be directed by policy when the program is implemented.
The cameras would bring the Scarborough Police Department up to industry standards, as possessing camera footage has become an expectation, especially in the prosecution of criminal cases in court. Scarborough is one of only a few departments in southern Maine that does not possess either body-worn or in-car camera system options. The police departments in each of the bordering communities all have either the body-worn or in-car camera options.
Gorham and Cape Elizabeth police departments are the only departments in our neighboring communities that only have the in-car camera option. The camera implementation will be used for risk management and officer safety, courtroom proceedings, increased transparency, employee performance, evaluations and training. An important officer safety feature on the body-worn cameras will be the capability for our dispatchers to view a live feed of our officers at high-risk calls for service or traffic stops.
This vantage point will allow our dispatchers to communicate to responding officers about the status of the officer on scene if the officer is not able to notify dispatch via portable radio. The video obtained through body-worn and in-car camera systems can also be used as key evidence to corroborate eye witness or an officer’s testimony during a court proceeding. Both cameras would provide prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and juries with multiple visual vantage points.
There has been an increased expectation from citizens for transparency of police agencies throughout the nation over the last several years. Our department is receptive to being transparent with our citizens. The purchase of the camera system would allow our department to collect video evidence of interactions during police activities.
In certain instances when the video would enhance public trust or justify the actions of an officer, the video may be released for public consumption, if it is legally authorized. The Scarborough Police Department expects our officers to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. The implementation of body-worn and in-car cameras will provide further accountability of our officer’s conduct in the eyes of the public.
The product that is being recommended for purchase is the result of an extensive vetting and demonstrations from three different vendors. This process included input and assistance from our IT Department. There is also support from the officers who will be utilizing the equipment on a routine basis.
The request to consider the purchase of the equipment came from this group. Sgt. Andrew Flynn took part in a presentation to the Scarborough Town Council back in July, where he pointed out how he was supportive of the cameras.
He has taken part in two demonstrations where he utilized the body-worn cameras on duty for several weeks. After having the opportunity to use the equipment, he realized that he felt uncomfortable without the cameras and the support of its GPS, livestream and recording capabilities. There are currently 46 sworn members of the Scarborough Police Department, including reserve officers.
In the planning for future growth of the organization, the budget request is for 50 body-worn camera devices and 10 in-car cruiser cameras. The total cost to purchase both camera systems for five years is $996,707. This cost includes unlimited cloud storage as recommended by IT.
The Scarborough Police Department will host public information sessions for our citizens to learn more about the cameras and their capabilities. The two remaining sessions will be on Sept. 26 and Oct.
24 at the Public Safety building beginning at 6:30 p.m. Each informational session will also be recorded to view online on the town of Scarborough’s website.
For more information, contact police Chief Mark Holmquist at 730-4399 or via email at [email protected]. Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors..
