Mediaboss Marketing

Detective Sergeant Jose Morales Jr. plans to complete the body camera policy by next month and plans to have a trial of Axon body cameras within weeks.

YOUNGSTOWN City council members discussed plans for body cameras for the Youngstown Police Department at Thursdays safety committee meeting.

Detective Sgt.Jose Morales Jr. said the department has met with several body camera vendors since January including BodyWorn, G-Tech Solutions, Motorola and Axon.

Morales singled outthe Axoncamera demonstration asimpressive.

They say that out of the top 1,200 agencies in the country, they pretty much hold 60 percent of that market, Morales said. They are very popular across the nation.

Morales said Axon has a community engagement program that is offered for free. Company officialswill attend community forums or City Council meetings to discuss features of their cameras.

YPD also asked the Akron Police Department about their use of Axon body cameras. Morales said the Akron departmentwas happy with Axon services and the software that came along with it.

Morales said he is working on a body camera policy for the department that will be completed and presentedat next months meeting.

In the next few months, YPD is planning to do atrial of 15 to 20 Axon body cameras that will last between 30 and 60 days. Morales said about 20 police officers have volunteered to use the cameras during the trial period.

Morales said since everything recorded will be subject to public record during the trial period, he is working to expedite the body camera policy.

Morales said he hopes to have body cameras for all officers in the department by July or early August.

During the meeting, Morales said the cost of the cameras and software ranged: BodyWorn was about $1 million, Motorolla was about $320,000 and Axon cost about $524,000.

Morales said the most expensive part about body cameras is not the cameras, but the software and storage required forthem.

Councilwoman Anita Davis, 6th ward, wondered whetherbody cameras would be needed for every officer. She said between the different shifts, vacation days and sick days, there will be days where cameras are not used.

Morales said there has not been much discussion about not having a camera for each officer. He said the way he sees it, it would be like a radio assigned to each officer.

In case you want to come in and youre going to work a job where youre going to be in uniform that evening or that day, you would be able to pick your own camera that would have your own footage on it, Morales said.

Davis said if there is a way to save money, the department should look at other options.

There is a way of doing it without buying [a camera] for every uniformed officer, Davis said.

Davis suggested that Morales should check with the Warren Police Department since they do not have a body camera for every officer and work under federal guidelines.

Councilman Julius Oliver, 1st ward, asked if the department looked at any local companies that could provide body camera services. Morales said the department only looked at established, national cameracompanies.

Oliver said if the services are the most expensive part of the cameras, the department should look at Tactical Protection and Surveillance that reached out to him to provide those services to YPD.

I think you might be able to save some money if you use the company thats right downtown, Oliver said.

Morales said he would seek more information.

Read this article:
Youngstown Police Department may have body cameras by this summer - Mahoning Matters