The days aren’t far off, Iola Police Chief Jared Warner predicts, when law enforcement officers will consider video cameras as standard-issued equipment as guns, holsters and badges. WARNER also spoke about another issue that has taken center stage in Ferguson — law enforcement agencies using surplus military equipment.
It’s already been that way for both the Iola Police and Allen County Sheriff departments for more than two years.
Both departments utilize the AXON FLEX video recording system, head-mounted cameras that record nearly everything an officer sees and hears while responding to calls.
Just as importantly, the video is uploaded to an off-site server and cannot be edited.
To see just how valuable such a system can be, Warner said, consider the goings-on in Ferguson, Mo., where protests surrounding a police officer’s shooting of an unarmed black youth are in their second week.
While there has been much speculation about the incident coming from all sides, Warner said having a camera on hand would have answered several questions.
“Absolutely, it would have had an effect on what’s going on there today,” Warner said.
Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy agreed.
“We got these cameras three years ago, and I wished we had ’em 10 years earlier,” Murphy said. “They’re worth their weight in gold.
“There’s not much room for interpretation or error,” Murphy continued. “It is what it is. It shows a true, first-person account of what an officer sees and does.”
“As technology advances, it becomes more affordable,” Warner said.
The video is invaluable on several fronts, Warner said. Not only can it be used as evidence in a courtroom, but officers can go back over certain calls as they draft reports. Likewise, Warner occasionally uses the video for officer training.
“You just can’t beat that. It makes the officer more accountable,” Warner said. “Everybody’s behavior changes when they know it’s being recorded.”
Murphy noted an ancillary benefit. Since his department has started using cameras, the amount of time officers have spent in the courtroom has plummeted.
“It used to be we’d have four or five officers called to court each Wednesday,” Murphy said. “Now, we may only have to go to court one or two times a month. If an attorney has a question about what happened, we just show them the tape. They’ll decide pretty quickly from that if we need to go to the courtroom.
“I think these cameras have proven our officers’ professionalism,” Murphy continued. “It’s shown us what we expect of them, and what they’re paid to do. It’s a comfort for me.”
Warner declined to comment further on the state of affairs in Ferguson, noting neither he — nor most of the protesters, for that matter — know the full story.
He did note that those hoping for a quick resolution will be disappointed.
“These investigations take time,” Warner said.
Warner noted IPD was among the agencies to take advantage of the program in 2007, purchasing pistols and four used M-16 rifles.
The rifles, which have yet to be used in the seven years the department has had them, would most likely be deployed in case of an “active shooter” situation.
Officers are trained regularly on how to properly use the weapons, and when it’s most appropriate, much like they’re trained on how to ably deal with the public in various circumstances.
The Sheriff’s Department declined to purchase the military equipment, Murphy said, but already had in its arsenal other semi-automatic rifles — AR-15s. (The police department does as well).
Law enforcement, by nature, is a paramilitary organization, Murphy noted, in that rank-and-file officers carry guns and are assigned to serve and protect.
Both departments take steps to foster open dialogue with the public at large. Warner and Murphy both encourage their officers to be accessible to civilians.
Murphy, in fact, noted the Sheriff’s Department changed its uniforms in recent years.
Gone are the flashy badges and blue uniforms. Deputies today wear a button-up shirt and kakhi pants.
“We’ve tried to tone down our appearance,” he said, “so people think we’re more approachable.”
Cameras ‘worth weight in gold’
