Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Local troopers wearing body cameras
State troopers at Avondale barracks to participate in pilot program
AVONDALE » Troopers at the Avondale barracks will begin to use body cameras as part of a pilot program that runs through the end of the year. They are one of only three in the state. The others are troopers in Uniontown and at Somerset.
Last summer, the Pennsylvania State Police was awarded a $52,000 federal grant to develop policy and training surrounding the use of body-worn cameras. The grant funds were used to purchase approximately 30 bodyworn cameras for a pilot study. Since then, the department has developed an interim policy regulating equipment use, data storage, and duties and responsibilities related to the new technology. The policy was created with input from the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
“We think this will lead to accountability on both sides, with the troopers and with the public,” said Ryan Tarkowski, communications for the state police. “Leadership feels very strongly about State troopers at Avondale barracks will be using body cameras through the end of the year as part of a pilot program.
using body cameras and are supportive of the technology. If you walk around, you see the public with cellphones and everywhere you go, you are on video, so it’s the way things are. This is just another tool we will be able to use.”
The local troopers would join many municipal police departments – including Coatesville and Kennett Township – that have begun to utilize body cameras.
There are more than 4,300 troopers in Pennsylvania, and the cost of a single body camera, including training, is roughly $1,000.
Troopers at the Avondale barracks have already received training on use of the body cameras.
The camera can be turned on and off with the simple push of a button, and
the video clips can be categorized for different incidents, such as a traffic stop, a pedestrian stop or an assault.
The body cameras record 720p HD video and CD quality audio, and the lens can tilt up or down 28 degrees. The lens records at a 130-degree wide angle field of view, which produces a fish-eye-like effect in the video but captures a wide range of the scene.
Police will let civilians know up front they are being recorded. The video evidence can be used by officers before filling out a police report, and can be used as evidence in a court of law.
A 2017 Pennsylvania state law exempts police audio and video recordings from the state’s Right-to-Know Law, leaving the release of those records largely to the discretion of police. The procedure for individuals to request the release of footage from law enforcement
body-worn cameras was established by Act 22 of 2017 and is posted on the Pennsylvania State Police website. The only way to appeal denial of the police footage is to file a lawsuit.
State Police Lt. Colonel Robert Evanchick said if the pilot program is successful, it could lead to a wider rollout of the modern technology.
“I am an ardent supporter of the use of bodyworn cameras by law enforcement,” he said. “The real-world experiences and information learned through this pilot program will help the department fine-tune internal training, regulations, and processes to ensure the department is best prepared for wider implementation.”
The department is using body-worn cameras manufactured by WatchGuard Video for the pilot program, which is not intended to evaluate camera
Police will let civilians know up front they are being recorded. The video evidence can be used by officers before filling out a police report, and can be used as evidence in a court of law.
hardware. Any future purchases of body-worn camera hardware, storage, and infrastructure will be subject to established testing and purchasing requirements of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Some studies have found body cameras significantly reduce the number of complaints against police and incidents of police use of force. For example, a 2014 U.S. Department of Justice report cited two studies. One found the Rialto, California, police department had a 60 percent reduction in officers using force and an 88 percent reduction in complaints against police. The other found 75 percent fewer use of force complaints against police in Mesa, Arizona.