Paradise police are using new body cams that turn on automatically
The Paradise Police Department announced Tuesday that its officers are officially using new body cams that the Town Council approved earlier this year.
The new cameras are provided by a company called Utility, Inc. which employs its patented Eos by Utility™ body-worn camera technology as well as the company’s Rocket by Utility™ incar video system.
The just less than $246,000 system features what the department said is a high-speed data collection system that will result in increased transparency and accountability between the department and the community.
“We are very excited to have partnered with Utility, Inc. and to be able to implement their technologically advanced body camera and in-car camera systems,” Paradise Police Chief Eric Reinbold said in a press release. “This transition was made possible through funding provided by Measure V, the Town’s ½ cent temporary transactions and use sales tax.”
The new system includes embedded body cameras within the officers’ uniform to prevent them from detaching. The department also knows that the cameras technology uses artificial intelligence to create situational awareness in offers a two-minute buffer allowing for the capture of the two minutes of video prior to the camera being activated. The purpose of that teacher is to allow the cameras to turn on automatically that having the officer do it.
These functions will turn the camera on anytime the officer:
• is within 500 feet of a dispatched run, activated by computer aided dispatch calls for service;
• draws their handgun from its holster;
• begins to run;
• jostles or shakes, such as during a fight;
• activates lights and/or sirens in the car;
• unlocks the shotgun/rifle rack; or
• lies flat for 10 seconds — this feature, known as Officer Down, notifies all cars on the district that an officer is in need of immediate assistance.
The new system also has in car video communications that increases officer connectivity and enhance the department’s technology ecosystem. Instead of having to go back to the department to download video and other evidence onto a computer, as long as the vehicle has access to WiFi or cellular technology it can automatically send the information to the Police Department.