Mike,
Apologies for the delayed response...our officers here in Kentucky have been wearing agency issued body cameras for about 5 years now. Due to exceeding their useful life, we recently transitioned to a new model (AXON Body 2) which resulted in vast improvements for our officers. Just some real quick improvements include the ability of officers to upload the videos at the end of their shift which in turn allows administrators to view them instantly. Before, we were burning videos to hard drives that had to be delivered to HQ for viewing by administrators. These cameras also buffer continuously throughout the shift so when an officer presses the record button, the video backs up 30 seconds prior to activation. It is also water proof which is a big plus for us and the customer service in regards to replacement has been great. We have only broken two since transitioning in August. The cameras have proven to be a valuable asset to our officers (who at first were a little reluctant) in regards to complaints. They have exonerated multiple officers facing some pretty severe bogus complaints from the public. We have also had two officer involved shooting since November. The cameras performed flawlessly during both. The footage aided in the investigation and allowed administrators to see exactly what transpired during the encounter. The footage will also serve as a valuable training tool for both current and future officers.
In regards to policy, we are currently updating it and I will send you a copy once that is complete. Basically, our officers are required to activate the camera anytime they are interacting with a member of the public but can mute it if confidential information is being presented. They must status check before each shift and upload all videos at the end. Our retention schedules vary based on the content of the video.
Hope this helps...feel free to email or call me anytime.
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Major Shane Carrier
Deputy Director of Law Enforcement
KY Div of Law Enforcement
502-494-2054
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-07-2018 04:19 PM
From: Michael Petlansky
Subject: Body cameras for marine officers
My name is Mike Petlansky and I am with the Water Patrol Division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP). We are looking into body cameras for our marine troopers assigned to float streams.
I was hoping to connect with law enforcement agencies who use body cameras for their marine officers and possibly review their policies, procedures, advantages, and disadvantages of body cameras.
Any assistance would be appreciated. Here is my contact information:
Michael.petlansky@mshp.dps.mo.gov
(573) 526-7114 (Office)
Thank you,
Mike
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Michael Petlansky
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