The Carmel Police Department has begun the process of deploying the use of new body cameras while on patrol. An $80,000 federal grant was secured to help fund the first phase of a five-year, no-interest lease for 120 body cameras and 100 in-car cameras from the manufacturer, Axon.
By the end of this week, all officers will have been trained on the use of body cameras and be issued their own, the culmination of a three-year process. Over the next five years, the Police Department will spend $1.7 million on the body cameras, in-car cameras, new interview-room cameras and new tasers.
“For more than 20 years, the Carmel Police Department has used the latest technology to be as efficient and transparent as possible,” said Carmel Police Chief Jim Barlow. “These new body cams, will help us increase transparency and efficiency, while offering greater protection to the community through increased evidence gathering.”
The use of body cameras in America has grown in recent years. More than half of the 68 major city law enforcement agencies now utilize the cameras on the Axon network. According to national surveys, this has resulted in a decrease in the use of force, fewer Driving While Intoxicated cases going to court (as video evidence typically leads to guilty pleas before trial) and fewer false complaints of abuse by police officers. The results also include increased cost savings for police agencies, enhancing public trust and creating safer communities.