Synchronized cameras for patrol officers and cars

Chickamauga Police Chief Ronald Roach has been given the goahead to purchase four cameras for his officers.

The City Council, during its February meeting, approved the chief’s request to buy new and replacement cameras for mounting in patrol cars and on an officer’s uniform.

Roach said these new cameras will replace those put in service in 2009 — cameras which are beginning to spend more time in the shop than on duty.

“I’ve had one in the shop three times since coming here,” said Roach, who was hired as chief in February 2014.

In recent years law enforcement agencies have found wearable cameras valuable not only for recording evidence, but also as a tool for improving officer and civilian safety.

Cameras being purchased will integrate a stationary car camera with the one worn by an officer. The car-mounted camera will record what is in front of the vehicle as well as its back seat.

“It provides a 360-degree view from the car and includes information from the officer’s body cam,” Roach said.

In addition to providing two points of view from each car/ cop pair, cameras from several officers could be synchronized to provide a multi-screen mosaic of an event.

The chief said all recordings will be treated as evidence and will be downloaded for secure storage.

City Manager Micheal Haney said the department had budgeted $11,000 to buy a couple of camera systems, each valued at about $5,000. But two more systems are being purchased as part of equipping new patrol cars that were scheduled for purchase with SPLOST, a voterapproved special purpose local option sales tax, revenue. The remainder was paid from the city’s general fund as a “patrol capital outlay,” he said.

Chickamauga’s police force of six fulltime and six part-time sworn officers will now have onboard cameras in all patrol vehicles, the chief said.