The state contracted with Axon Enterprise, Inc., of Arizona, on a five-year deal with annual renewals for service, maintenance and Cloud storage across an additional five years. The maximum cost approaches $42 million.
The contract provides for up to 2,500 body cameras, 1,700 dashboard cameras and 100 cameras for state police interview rooms. The body cameras are new for troopers while the other cameras will replace existing equipment.
Body cameras are currently being worn by the 43 troopers assigned to Troop H in Carlisle, Cumberland County. The pilot program began July 24 and will last from 60 to 90 days, according to Col. Christopher Paris, state police commissioner. He said efforts to initiate a program began in 2020.
The statewide rollout covering all 88 state police stations will follow the pilot program's expiration, however, a formal launch date hasn't been set, according to Myles Snyder, state police communications director.
"We believe we must solemnly value the trust placed in us by those we are sworn to swerve, and we are committed to holding ourselves to a higher standard of accountability to continually earn respect each and every day," Paris said.
Paris said troopers must switch the body cameras on and off for all official interactions with the public. The footage is stored automatically through Cloud coverage. In-vehicle cameras collect data on hard drives and must be manually uploaded onto a server.
Footage can be requested by the public, not through the state's Right to Know Law but through provisions separately covered under Act 22 of 2017.
The public expects trustworthiness, transparency and professionalism from law enforcement, Paris said. The new video footage will work to uphold that, both for the safety of troopers and the public, and will also add to evidence collected in criminal investigations or when investigating allegations of trooper misconduct.
"These cameras will capture more public interactions between troopers and citizens than ever before," Paris said.
Dave Kennedy, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, said at a press conference that the union's support for the body-camera initiative was "contingent" on fully funding the program and raising the total complement of troopers above the current maximum of 4,740 allowed by law.
"We absolutely support this but it needs to be fully funded and needs a complement increase," Kennedy said.
However, he subsequently clarified that the union supports the initiative even if the complement isn't ultimately increased by the state Legislature.
There are at least two legislative proposals currently pending in the Pennsylvania House that would remove the statutory cap on the state police complement. One of the measures, House Bill 1280, advanced out of the lower chamber with all 203 members voting in support. It's currently assigned to the state Senate's Law & Justice Committee.
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