City Announces Next Generation of Police Body Camera Technology
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther today announced a nearly $19 million
investment to equip Columbus Police officers with cutting-edge
technology for body-worn cameras (BWC) and in-car cameras.
Technological advancements will allow higher-quality audio
and video, automatic activation to safeguard against user error,
synchronization between body-worn and in-car cameras, and video recall
abilities as far back as 24 hours prior to an incident.
“This next generation of body-worn cameras will improve our
understanding of an encounter, and of each other, when events unfold at
lightning speed – sometimes in the midst of great chaos and confusion – and
when a thorough and objective assessment is required to determine the facts,”
said Mayor Ginther.
As a result of the historic collective bargaining agreement the
City secured last year with the Fraternal Order of Police, the following
changes have been adopted within the body-worn camera policy:
- Automated Activation: Allows
camera to be turned on without manual interaction
- Pre-Event Recording: Allows for
audio/video lookback of up to two minutes prior to camera activation
- Video Recall: Allows the Director
of Public Safety to order the review of audio and video recordings up to 24
hours prior to a critical incident
The next generation of video technology advancements will
incorporate, in-whole or in-part, these contractual advancements. This
agreement with Axon Camera Systems includes features
that will significantly improve the Columbus Division of Police’s ability to
capture, identify, store, and share audio and video content. The Axon 3 camera
is designed to:
- Reduce motion and blur
- Utilize four microphones which
balance themselves to capture clearer audio
- Synchronize BWC and in-car camera
video feeds (allows for automated activation, overlapping views and automatic
video tagging)
- Captures audio and video content
two minutes prior to activation
- BWCs can recall video up to 18
hours following an incident; in-car cameras can recall video up to 24 hours
following an incident
- In-car cameras include license
plate readers to improve officers’ situational awareness
- Body-worn cameras will
automatically activate when:
- o An officer’s weapon is removed from his or her utility belt
- o A cruiser’s lights/sirens are activated
- o A rifle/shotgun rack are released
- o A cruiser accelerates to a high rate of speed
- o A cruiser is involved in a collision
As part of the contract, Axon will provide the following:
- 2,105 body-worn cameras
- Three-year refresh on BWC
hardware
- 450 in-car cameras equipped with
license plate readers
- 16 interview room systems
- 75 Flex 2 Units (allows cameras
to be mounted on specialty tactical gear)
- Video and other evidence
management for city and county prosecutors’ offices
- De-installation of old equipment
and installation of new equipment
- Unlimited storage from both
internal and third-party video sources
“The arrival of this next-generation technology in Columbus
is a win for accountability and transparency, it’s a win for building trust
with our community, and it’s a win for officer safety,” said Director of Public
Safety Robert Clark. “All of that makes this a win for community safety in our
city.”
Training and deployment of the new equipment will begin in
June and be completed by March 31, 2023. The total cost is $18,937,672.20 over
five years.
The proposed agreement will be discussed at a Columbus City
Council public hearing today from 4-6 p.m. today, and will then go to City Council
for approval.