The Albany Police Department is continually trying to keep up with the new technology and the agency’s newest form of technology will offer safety to both the officers and the public.

As of last week, each Albany Police Officer will be equipped with a “Body Cam.”

The camera system used is called FirstVu HDs and were purchased from Kansas City-based manufacturer Digital Ally, Inc. The systems include a small but touch 1-inch camera and 2.5”x4” DVR that can be worn in a variety of locations.

Body cameras have garnered a great deal of attention lately because of several high profile officers-involved shootings in cities across the U.S., especially Ferguson, MO, which is now using Digital Ally’s FirstVu HD, as well.

Stanton Ross, CEO of Digital Ally, said that “everyone behaves better when they’re being recorded. This benefits the relationship between the officers and the community, improves officer safety and has even been shown to statistically reduce the frequency of use-of-force incidents.”

A majority of cases also go uncontested, and complaints against police officers are dropped, as soon as it becomes known that the incident was recorded on video. This saves the department money and lets the officers spend more time patrolling the community instead of in court.

“I got this one and we were doing a trial and error on it. When the chief and the mayor approached me, I had already done a research project for graduate school,” Albany Police Officer Ricky Marcum said. “I’ve got a lot of positive feedback from other agencies and how they are using them.”

Marcum said not only do the body cams provide a point-of-view perspective from the officer, but video and photos taken from the body cams will be allowed in court in most cases.

“On body cameras allow a perspective the public or police agencies have not had,” Marcum said. “Prior to this, we’ve only had dash cams, so you could only see in a certain field of view. Once you got outside the field of view, even the audio was questionable. Now, whatever the officer sees and wherever he goes is exactly what the administration would see and it’s what other officers would see for training and it is what prosecutors and jury would see when it comes to evidence.”

Marcum was the first to use the body camera, but now, every officer within the Albany Police Department has the tool at their disposal.

The policy for the body cams was written by Marcum and has been approved by Police Chief Ernest Guffey, Mayor Nicky Smith and the Albany City Council.

“If the technology progresses like coming from the dash cams to the body cams, in 20 years we could have something different,” Marcum said. “We could be operating drone based equipment.”

The Albany Police Department is a small agency and Marcum said staying up with technology, even as small as the APD are, is very essential in their line of work.

“As long as we keep that progressive forward mentality we will continue to thrive as an agency,” Marcum said. “Our goal is to the safety of the citizens of Clinton County.”

As a part of the policy adapted by the Albany City Council, officers start recording prior to arriving to the scene.

“It would record anything pertinate to the case. There are many times when you roll up on the scene and a fight is already in progress,” Marcum said. “It is important to articulate what you are telling someone to do. There are certain instances obviously were we don’t use recordings. For example, a situation that would involve a child. Also in the policy, if we are not recording, then we have to articulate to the administration why we didn’t record. For a child involved in sexual abuse, we don’t want to exploit that child anymore than he/she already is. We have some checks and balances. If we get to the point where we see things that need to be added to or excluded to the policy then that’s always on the table too.”

Marcum said the body cams will be a positive thing for both the police officers and the public.

The body cams will run for 18 continuous hours and have the ability to record video in 1080p high definition with available infrared night vision.

It also has the ability to take still photographs and can be used in court or for insurance purposes.

“It’s been an asset … it has been really good,” Marcum said. “It took a lot of getting used to as far as remembering to turn it on. I’m just now getting used to it. I’m working on my 13th year in law enforcement and this is something new.”

Digital Ally’s body cams offer some distinct benefits not available from other camera manufacturers. The FirstVu HD features a wider field of view, lower light recording capability, and archived video recordings are higher in quality. The body cams also prevent unauthorized access to, or tampering with, the recordings, and access to the video evidence is logged.

It also offers a longer “pre-event recording” time, which allows the camera to save up to 60 seconds of video footage before the officer presses the record button. This is especially important when events require any use of force, because it allows the officer to focus on his or her safety while still being able to go back and capture critical recorded documentation of the incident once there is no longer any danger to the officer, the suspect or the public.

Recently, Albany City Council approved a policy pertaining to the Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) to be used by the Albany Police Department officers. The following is the policy in its entirety:

I. PURPOSE

This policy is intended to provide officers with instructions on when and how to use body-worn cameras (B.W.C.’s) so that officers may reliably record their contacts with the public in accordance with the law.

II. POLICY

It is the policy of this department that officers shall activate the BWC when such use is appropriate to the proper performance of his or her official duties, where the recordings are consistent with this policy and law. This policy does not govern the use of surreptitious recording devices used in undercover operations.

III. PROCEDURES

A. Administration

This agency has adopted the use of the BWC to accomplish several objectives. The primary objectives are as follows:

1. B.W.C.s allow for accurate documentation of police-public contacts, arrests, and critical incidents. They also serve to enhance the accuracy of officer reports and testimony in court.

2. Audio and video recordings also enhance this agency’s ability to review probable cause for arrest, officer and suspect interaction, and evidence for investigative and prosecutorial purposes and to provide additional information for officer evaluation and training.

3. The BWC may also be useful in documenting crime and accident scenes or other events that include the confiscation and documentation of evidence or contraband.

B. When and How to Use the BWC.

1. Officers shall activate the BWC to record all contacts with citizens in the performance of official duties.

2. Wherever possible, officers should inform individuals that they are being recorded. In locations where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a residence, they may decline to be recorded unless the recording is made pursuant to an arrest or search of the residence or the individuals. The BWC shall remain activated until the event is completed in order to ensure the integrity of the recording unless the contact moves into an area restricted by this policy (see items D. 1-4).

3. If an officer fails to activate the BWC, fail to record the entire contact, or interrupts the recording, the officer shall document why a recording was not made, was interrupted or terminated.

4. Civilians shall not be allowed to review the recordings at the scene.

C. Procedures for BWC Use

1. BWC equipment is issued primarily to uniformed personnel as authorized by this agency. Officers who are assigned BWC equipment shall use the equipment unless otherwise authorized by the Chief.

2. Police personnel shall only use BWCs issued by this department. The BWC equipment and all data, images, video and metadata captured.

3. Police personnel who are assigned BWCs must complete an agency approved and/or provided training program to ensure proper use and operations. Additional training may be required at periodic intervals to ensure the continued effective use and operation of the equipment, proper calibrations and performance and to incorporate changes, updates or other revisions in policy and equipment.

4. BWC equipment is the responsibility of individual officers and will be used with reasonable care to ensure proper functioning. Equipment malfunctions shall be brought to the attention of the Chief as soon as possible so that a replacement unit may be procured.

5. Officers shall inspect the BWC prior to each shift in order to verify proper functioning and shall notify the Chief of any problem.

6. Officers shall not edit, alter, erase, duplicate, copy, share or otherwise distribute in any manner BWC recordings without authorization and approval of the Chief or his or her designee.

7. Officers are encouraged to inform their supervisor of any recordings that may be of value for training purposes.

8. If an officer is suspected of wrong doing or involved in an officer-involved shooting or other use of force, the department reserves the right to limit or restrict the officer from viewing the video file.

9. Requests for deletion of portions of the recordings (e.g., in the event of a personal recording) must be submitted in writing and approved by the Chief or his or her designee in accordance with state record retention laws. All requests and final decisions shall be kept on file.

10. Officers shall note in incident, arrest and related reports when recordings were made during the incident/arrest in question. However, BWC recordings are not replacements for written reports.

D. Restrictions on Using BWC equipment.

BWC’s shall be used only in conjunction with official law enforcement duties. The BWC shall not generally be used to record:

1. Communications with other police personnel without permission of the Chief.

(References: International Associations of Chiefs of Police (2014, January). Retrieved August 5, 2014 from http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/IACPBodyWornCameraPolicy.)

“It allows the truth to be told,” Marcum. “I look forward to seeing how good of a resource they will continue to be, because they already are. It’s a great tool … it’s a great resource.”

A copy of the view seen through the lens of one of the “body cams” now being worn by Albany Police officers. This capture was made at a recent traffic accident on Washington Street near the Clinton County News office.