Ninety-five percent of police departments throughout the country are equipped with body cameras. Pascagoula police are now part of that statistic.
News 25’s Gina Tomlinson spoke with officers who say the new body cameras will make their police force more transparent and safe.
Following several national officer-involved shootings and incidents like the recent viral video of a Gulfport officer altercation with a resident, police body cameras have proven to be a significant resource for law enforcement transparency. Captain Doug Adams said, “Now everything an officer does can be recorded anytime he comes in contact with a citizen.”
Pascagoula police recently joined 95 percent of police departments across the nation that are using body cameras. Officers tell News 25 the new cameras will maintain trust between police and the community. “If you call and complain about an officer treating you a certain way, it’s all on video. So, yes, an office did treat you a certain way or he didn’t,” said Captain Adams.
The cameras sync with police cars and a wrist watch, allowing officers the ability to review important details recorded during investigations.
The body cameras are worn on an officer’s vest with built in motion sensor device that triggers the camera to start recording. Office Layne Brushaber said, “The body camera automatically comes on with me. If I take off running, it automatically comes on. It senses that.”
Between the traffic and the patrol division, the Pascagoula police have about 55 of these body cameras and they also come with safety features. “If an officer gets hurt or falls to the ground, after so many seconds it sends out an alert, it has GPS on it. I can look exactly where the officer is and get to him,” said Officer Brushaber.
Over the next five years, the department will spend a total of $400,000 for the new technology.