Police cameras under review
A request for the police department to purchase 16 additional body-worn cameras was tabled by aldermen over questions about the need for the devices and the policy governing use.
The Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee on Wednesday tabled police Chief Egidio Tinti’s request for $115,000. The funding would, if approved, be used to purchase 16 new body-worn cameras and related equipment, including two data transfer stations and data storage.
Instead, the committee will consider the request during a special meeting March 26 at which Tinti will be asked to answer aldermen’s questions.
During the meeting Wednesday, Alderman Tony Davis had questioned whether the additional cameras would allow the police department to outfit all of its officers across three daily patrol shifts.
“There’s not 16 officers on patrol each shift,” Davis, DWard 6, said. He also said the department already has body worn cameras for its officers and he believed they were passed off from shift to shift.
While Davis questioned the need for the cameras, Majority Leader Reynolds Scott-Childress had questions about the use of the devices.
Scott-Childress, D-Ward 3, said he had received conflicting information at a police and community forum on Monday regarding whether the cameras could be turned off during an officer’s shift. He said one person told him the cameras could not be turned off, while another said it was up to the officer’s discretion. Scott-Childress said he felt it opened up the possibility for abuse if an officer has the power to turn the camera off.
Aldermen discussed the issue further, but decided to have Tinti come to the special meeting to answer any further questions. While that discussion was taking place, Davis was messaging someone on his phone to obtain the information he was seeking.
Davis said he was told the police department currently has 14 body worn cameras and the additional devices would allow for 10 to be used each shift. He said he was also told the department wants to eventually have a camera for each member of the patrol division.
The Kingston Police Department currently has 66 members, which includes administrators.
During Monday’s police and community forum, Tinti said the city’s police commission would soon be considering a policy regarding the use of the body-worn cameras.
“We have it in the pilot phase right now,” Tinti said. “Officers are wearing them. They seem to be accepting them very well as far as the technology and wearability of them.” He added that the department has had mobile dash cameras in their cars for many years, but the body worn ones would allow them to better record information while away from their vehicles, such as on sidewalks or in residences. Currently, officers in the uniform division and special investigations unit use the cameras, the chief said.
“Ideally, what we’d like to do is get every officer their own camera,” Tinti said. He said that would make things easier for maintenance and care of the cameras.