West Hartford鈥檚 police department purchased 140 body cameras that will be used by patrol officers, starting February 14. The department has trained officers to use the recently purchased cameras, after a trial period with three different companies they chose the Arizona-based company, Axon.
Sergeant Amanda Martin says it will also offer an opportunity to train officers in different scenarios.
鈥淪o if we respond to the call and we noticed training issues we can sit and we can dissect the video and talk about things and as we approach things from different angles,鈥� Martin said.
Under the required training, officers on patrol will determine when to start recording as they interact with a citizen. Martin said officers must undergo training of their body cam policy which officers must test and sign off on.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 on the officer to physically turn the camera on right now, and they know that when they do come across someone, if they are dispatched to a call or if they鈥檙e investigating something, that those cameras are supposed to be actively recording,鈥� Martin said.
In a statement, the WHPD said in-car cameras have been in use since 2013 which will also be updated to the Axon Fleet 3 camera system for consistency and seamless operability, in the next few months.
The department says they also chose Axon for their unlimited data storage, where videos will be uploaded. Axon Enterprises develops, manufactures, and sells cloud-based digital evidence management software designed for use by law enforcement. The department says this new tool will increase transparency because collected footage will be stored through Axon鈥檚 website that is traceable and auditable.
The purchase of the body cams also comes in response to the police accountability bill passed by lawmakers in 2020.
