Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey asked about the proposed body camera budget during the Board of Aldermen’s 2016-17 budget work session Tuesday night. Summers said that the line item was cut because there are still a lot of questions about implementing the program.
Mark Stephens, city manager, echoed those concerns. He said some of the questions include the cost of storage for the video, and how long the video should be retained.
“There’s a lot of questions out there,” Stephens said.
Stephens said although it was great to be on the cutting edge with technology, cuts sometimes happen being on that edge.
Summers had a different view last month, saying his department investigated police body-worn cameras for about three years by keeping track of what other law enforcement agencies were doing and how they were implementing policies.
“Any good police department is going to keep up with the latest technology,” Summers said in an April interview. “We are following it and trying to see how we can best use it in New Bern.”
The New Bern Police Department received $10,000 from the city last fiscal year for automatic license plate recognition cameras. They were recently installed in two patrol cars that can allow officers to check thousands of license plates per shift to determine if vehicles are stolen or if registered owners are wanted. In November, a 911 emergency texting program was implemented to give the community another option of protection.
Summers said he didn’t think his officers would be opposed to body cameras because they understand technology changes.
“We have cameras in our (patrol) cars now, and they have been beneficial,” Summers said.
The department has used some videos of traffic stops from the patrol car cameras in court, he said.
“I think there is a place for body cameras,” Summers said. “... It could help the community and police in the long run.”
However, Summers did say in April when a body camera policy is implemented he wants to make sure it is done right.
“We enjoy a great partnership with our community and we’re not going to rush into it,” he said. “I want to make sure we do it properly.”
There are drawbacks to body cameras, Summers said, and some agencies have had issues with them. Police officers have to depend on a lot of confidentiality when dealing with certain issues, like help from an informant, he said.
- “We have to see how many agencies deal with that now,” he said. “Dealing with confidentiality is a sensitive issue. It takes a fine balance.”
In April, Maj. Jenee Eubanks of the Kinston Police Department said that city implemented body worn cameras to police officers through a 2013 N.C. Governor’s Crime Commission grant of $13,425 and since then has renewed the grant and received funds from the city for additional cameras.
Since the program began, there has been no negative response from the community, she said.
The Wilmington Police Department has had body worn cameras for several years, according to a spokesperson with the department, and has a detailed Mobile Video and Evidentiary Recordings policy, which went into effect Oct. 15, 2014, and was revised the following year.
Summers’ budget presentation to aldermen Tuesday included a slight increase in the operating budget for Tasers, mobile data computers and replacement of aging equipment. There is also a request of $501,120 for police vehicles.
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