Haverford cops add body cams to uniforms in Delco first
HAVERFORD » The Haverford Township Police Department has taken the lead among police departments in Delaware County by becoming first to fully equip uniformed officers with body-worn cameras.
Since Sept. 18, Haverford police have donned WatchGuard Vista WiFi Extended Capacity wearable body cams while on patrol. The 3-inch-by-2-inch devices are typically worn mid-chest, on the officer’s outermost layer of clothing.
Functioning as a camera and digital video recorder, the body cams collect visual and audio evidence, and integrate with in-car video camera systems. Working together, the cameras provide synchronized video from multiple perspectives.
Haverford police say body cam technology will help police accurately document “events, actions, conditions and statements made during investigative stops, field interviews, arrests and critical incidents.”
Although body cams don’t capture everything in the officer’s field of vision, they’re “beneficial for court, and will document a clearer picture of what happened during an incident … Use of the cameras increases transparency,” according to a statement from the department.
The new equipment will also be used by administrators conducting periodic review of officer-citizen contact “for quality control purposes, in addition to aiding in investigations of citizen complaints.”
Police Chief John Viola said body cams protect police officers.
“It’s the world we live in today. Everybody’s recording you … When you see a video on TV you’re only seeing what the news station wants to show. If an officer shoots somebody, makes an arrest, uses force to overcome force, all you see is the officer reacting. You don’t see what led up to it. Ninety-nine percent of the time the officer is reacting to what the criminal did. TV never shows that. This protects the officer. We’ll see the whole thing. If someone says an officer used too much force, we can go back and review the video.”
Deputy Chief Joseph Hagan said “getting both sides of the story” also protects the public.
Viola noted that Haverford’s use of in-car cameras dates back about 15 years, beginning with VCR technology, subsequently replaced by digital. The department began discussing body cams with township manager Larry Gentile about two years ago.
“We wanted to evolve into body cameras, which were becoming more and more prevalent in police departments,” Viola said.“But it was new technology, and we wanted to wait until all the bugs were worked out and they got smaller and smaller.”
Hagan researched options for about a year and a half.
The department ultimately purchased 23 new WatchGuard in-car camera systems, which include body cameras, then acquired another 13 body cams. Total cost was $165,000, Hagan said.
A testing and trial period preceded full roll out. This allowed time for officers to get comfortable using the devices, and for policy to be put in place. Haverford is first in the county to establish full policy for body cam use, Hagan said.
While the in-car camera constantly records, body cams activate when an officer turns on the car’s red overhead lights. They can be turned on and off manually, as well.
Officers are required to let people know they’re being recorded, whenever practicable.
The police department plans to store footage from cameras for a two-year period, Hagan said.
However, recent changes to the state Wiretap Law under SB 560 limit public access. The bill exempts police audio/video records from the Right to Know Law, creating a separate request process with a 20-day time limit. Police can deny requests for various reasons.
“We don’t have to disclose records if it’s part of a criminal investigation or internal investigation. It all depends on the circumstances,” Hagan said.
The bill also allows police to use body cams in private residences while on duty.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed the measure in June. Wolf has said he supports use of body cameras to “promote transparency and increase public safety.”