Skagway’s police department has tested body cams and audio recording devices in the past, with mixed results. The new cameras from Axon come with a quality reputation and strong technical support.
Skagway’s Acting Chief of Police JJ Reddick says the department wanted the cams in part to show that police officers are being held accountable to the public. The cellphone-sized cameras that are mounted on the officer’s vest are activated by the officer tapping the record button, the recording is stopped by holding the button for three seconds, then the video is downloaded each night.
“The way the cameras work is we have docking stations on each desk. And whenever we get done with a shift, we put it in the charging dock and it will download. They go to what’s called axonevidence.com. So it’s held completely off-site,” said Reddick.
Chief Reddick explained that mp4 videos take up a lot of space on hard drives, so storing the videos online saves the extra expense of acquiring servers to hold all the data.
The department is working on developing a body cam policy in coordination with the Borough Manager. Though not complete yet, Reddick did give a list of potential instances in which the cams could be activated.
“If we see a situation that could potentially turn into a crime, or turn into physical violence, either against ourselves or somebody else, we’re going to initiate the cameras just to make sure that everything’s documented,” explained Reddick.
According to Reddick, body cams are a useful tool for law enforcement. They provide solid evidence police can use in court, and they also provide documentation for when people accuse the police of wrongdoing.
“The cameras have saved us, because somebody has said that one of us did something inappropriate. So we’ve you know, had the opportunity to say okay, well, I would like for you to put your complaint in writing. And then we’re going to review the video together. And then they’re like, there’s a video?” Described Reddick.
Reddick explained that the wide-angle lens cameras have a 30 second lag time between when the video starts and the audio engages, so the officers will usually start the cameras before leaving their vehicles to respond to a situation.
The Municipality of Skagway is currently seeking a permanent replacement for former Police Chief Ray Leggett. Officer Reddick looks forward to being considered for the position, and currently fills the seat as the Acting Chief.
