Police Chief Tim Potts and City Manager Tony Massey told The Daily Herald they've had strategic-planning conversations about the issue with the Columbia City Council and Mayor Dean Dickey. They estimate buying cameras and systems to support them would cost in the range of $400,000.
"We want to combine the in-car and body camera together," said Potts, who has emphasized community policing and transparency as hallmarks of his four-plus years as police chief. "When we cut on the blue lights, ideally we want the car and body cameras to turn on simultaneously.
"Things happen so fast in our line of work," Potts added. "You don't always have time to jump out of the car and turn the camera on before chasing a suspect. We think we have found a system that's simultaneous. It will capture what we need on video without interfering with pursuit."
The chief and city administration had extensive conversations with the City Council earlier this month, Massey said. He's confident the city's budget can handle the expenditures.
"The consensus was if we're going to do it, we need to outfit the entire department," Massey said. "It will be a substantial, big-ticket item that we'll discuss with council, likely in May. We need to take a hard look at what it will cost."
Capt. Jeremy Alsup was asked by the chief two years ago to research body cameras and systems. He likes what he sees on the market from WatchGuard, the world's largest supplier and manufacturer of law enforcement video systems. The company has been testing body cameras with Columbia police and has equipped some patrol cars with cameras in the past.
"We wanted to have the information available, so when the time comes, the chief has all of the information he needs to make decisions," Alsup said.
"I was charged to keep up to date with current prices, availability, software and what kind of platform to build. I have always been excited about more cameras."
Potts added: "Our officers want them."
The Columbia Police Department has 60 marked patrol cars, six with cameras, Potts said. Some have old VHS systems and require cumbersome editing and video management.
"We used to have more, but the cars got so old, they were rotated out of the fleet with age," Potts said. "You can hardly buy VHS tapes any more. We're a little behind the curve with cameras in the car. This will catch us up."
Potts would like the entire fleet to be transformed, either all at once or over time. He said Columbia has been deliberate in buying equipment to see what works and how expensive equipment compares with less-expensive gear.
"We are giving the council options," Potts said. "One is to buy it all at one time, which is very expensive. The other is a proposal, that as we buy new cars, we buy the system with the car. We could do it a little at a time — maybe 10 cars a year over time.
"Whichever method the council chooses, I will support. We have to build a network to manage the video. We need the funding first to build the wireless network, which starts downloading the video immediately when they come back into the office. I don't want to lose manpower on the streets to an officer have to spend too much time managing video," he said.
Potts said he favors body cameras for evidence gathering and to clear up disputes between the public and officers.
"We have seen great advantages of an in-car camera," Potts said. "There is no greater evidence when you go to court with video for a DUI, for example. The officer's testimony is the most important thing, but the video supplements that. I see a great advantage for domestic violence cases with body cameras. We can document by video, and through pictures, injuries to the victim, the reaction of the victim and statements by the offender. It is invaluable."
Safety for officers and transparency for the public will be the top benefits of cameras, Massey said.
"What's the old saying? 'The camera doesn't lie,' " Massey said. "We know, in today's world, that having the cameras can be a great asset to law enforcement. You're seeing this as a trend across the nation. We do not want to be behind that trend. We will take a hard look at it. I will rely heavily on Chief Potts' thoughts and recommendations."
Dickey said he supports car and body cameras "100 percent," despite the cost.
"To me, a camera is as important as your weapon," Dickey said. "It's just part of equipping our officers with the protection they need in today's environment. It is a steep price. But what is one life worth?"
The Maury County Sheriff's Department equipped deputies on patrol with cameras last year. They've been useful in resolving complaints against deputies and resolving he-said-she-said allegations, Sheriff Bucky Rowland said.
"Any complaints or allegations toward my guys have been cleared 100 percent of the time," Rowland said. "We can go back and review video and get an accurate account of what happened. Body cameras are very useful."
James Bennett is editor of The Daily Herald. Contact him at jbennett@c-dh.net.
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