At the regular City of Douglas Commission meeting on November 23, 2015, it was approved for the Douglas Police Department to purchase new body cameras for officers. Thirty body cameras and related equipment will be purchased to replace units already in use and to upgrade the system to a more reliable unit.
“We want to keep our officers and citizens safe,” says Police Chief Gary Casteloes. “The purchase of these new on-body cameras will help provide positive accountability for our officers as well as the public. Body cameras provide a helpful insight at interactions between officers and the public.”
Body worn video (BWV), also known as body cameras, is a video recording system that is typically utilized by law enforcement to record their interactions with the public or gather video evidence at crime scenes, and has been known to increase both officer and citizen accountability. In other communities, the introduction of body-worn cameras as standard equipment, has shown a reduction in public complaints as well as a decline in officer use of force.
For more information about the Douglas Police Department, please call 912-384-2222 or visit www.cityofdouglas.com/police.
