Camas police to launch body camera program in April
Camas Police Department officers will begin wearing body cameras starting in April.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Camas Police Department officers will begin wearing body cameras starting in April.
Chief Mitch Lackey made the announcement Wednesday saying the department contracted with the company AXON in fall 2021 for the equipment and the software and data storage necessary to meet state requirements.
The cameras will allow officers to record all their field actions.
“In law enforcement, disputes do sometimes arise about what was done, what was said or what actually happened. These cameras will now create a video record that should help resolve some of those disputes,” Lackey said.
The move comes after Clark County prosecutor Tony Golik and the Clark County Prosecutor’s Action and Reform Committee sent out a joint letter in February 2021 to local governments stressing the importance of law enforcement agencies implementing body cameras.
Golik and the committee said the video footage from the camera is a valuable tool for prosecutors and body cameras also builds community trust by demonstrating transparency and openness in the way police officers carry out their duties.
The Clark County Prosecutor’s Office hoped local governments would work to secure funding to acquire body-worn cameras for their officers.
After hearing of the news in Camas, Golik praised the city’s quick work.
“Law Enforcement body cameras systems are a critical tool that will help ensure the public has confidence in our community’s criminal justice system. The Camas Police Department should be congratulated for moving forward on body cameras,” he said.
Chief Lackey said he’s grateful to former Mayor Ellen Burton, current Mayor Steve Hogan, and the Camas City Council for their support and funding for the program.
In 2021, the Camas City Council authorized a five-year lease with AXON for the equipment and data storage. The lease totaled $311,168. The city said there will be some additional costs for staffing needs in the police department’s records unit. The department will need to determine who will handle public records requests for the videos and hopes to hire a full-time police records clerk within the year.
The funds for the body camera program are coming from a combination of general fund dollars and one-time revenue provided by the state of Washington. The police department has applied for grants, but has not received any grant funding yet.
In recent months, the police department and city management worked with the labor group representing Camas police officers to develop a body-worn camera policy. This policy provides officers guidance on when they’re expected to use their cameras and when they’re allowed to turn the cameras off.
Officers will begin training on the program in small groups and will start wearing the body cameras immediately after completing the training. Lackey said all Camas officers will likely complete the training by the end of April 2022.