There should be no question as to what happens when a Waldoboro Police officer makes a stop, conducts a search or settles a dispute when video cameras are installed and running in all of the cruisers.
Police officers have yet to learn how to use the new equipment, the operation of which will be a part of their routine shifts, according to Waldoboro Police Chief Bill Labombarde. Cameras are already installed in two of the department’s three marked cruisers and a third will be installed in the cruiser utilized by the School Resource Officer for use during the school year, Labombarde said. The third camera equipment set up will be made available thanks to a $42,000 state grant.
“These are going to suit our purposes really well,” Labombarde said.
He tentatively punched buttons on a single unit camera mounted on the windshield of a cruiser, in the same place where a rear-view mirror should be. The cameras, which record both video and audio, are small and compact. The video monitor, which is behind a one-way mirror, takes up a third of the rearview mirror’s room and is invisible when not in use. The cameras are small and are about half the size of predecessor police car video camera models. Labombarde said the cameras will also record night-time video.
Cameras simultaneously record action taking place in front of a police cruiser, and any action taking place in the back seat.
Once an officer hits the blue lights, the camera starts recording. Officers also wear remote control devices for their belts, so that when they are outside of their cruisers, they can start recording video. The remotes also record sound.
The remotes are good for working with the video cameras up to one mile. Labombarde said the remote signal could be lost when an officer goes into a building; however the sound recording capability will still be active within the remote itself.
Officers will be able to record any interactions in their daily routines, thereby providing another layer of information that goes into their reports and provide, as described by the equipment documentation, a virtual partner. The Chief said new equipment captures audio 60 seconds in advance of an officer activating the blue lights.
“Once it’s in the computer (sound, video), you can’t edit or do anything with it,” Labombarde said. “It is what it is.”
The police chief especially likes the new equipment, because it provides strong data for instances of civil complaints against an officer. The cameras are for audio and video evidence documentation. People can’t refute what’s on video, he said.
The new system provides agency support on many levels, according to the equipment documentation. Recorded video of police action reduces potential law suits, agency liability and the amount of time an officer must appear in court. It also works to ensure officer safety, performance and professionalism.
“It’s going to become policy that the cameras are on at every shift,” Labombarde added.
The Chief also wants to get laptops for the cruisers. The department has two and they plan to get a third. Presently, officers write out accident reports on paper and then drive back to the police station office after an accident scene is cleared to type out an official report.
The laptops will save the trip. Officers will be able to type out accident reports sooner, while all of the details are fresh in their mind, Labombarde said. With Internet capability in each vehicle, they will be able to send the report back to the station and remain on the road.
Labombarde said they will also be able to obtain license, registration and other information through the use of the computers instead of using the radio, thereby reducing radio traffic.
“It will minimize the time an officer needs to spend in the office and maximize the time on patrol,” Labombarde said.
The technology, he said, will help officers do their job more effectively. The Chief has other plans ahead for the department in the future, but said he continues working on improving the department one step at a time.