JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Interactions between police and citizens won't be left to question anymore in Jeffersonville, with every uniformed officer now set to have a body camera.
The city council unanimously approved a $522,000 contract for the body camera program at its meeting Monday night. The contract was approved by Jeffersonville Public Works on June 24.
"The things we need the cameras to do and when to come on and what to tape, this will do it," Mayor Mike Moore said.
The software the department will use with its body cameras doesn't leave room for human error. All 75 cameras the department will have automatically start rolling when an officer removes a gun from their holster, and when an officer comes within one block of where they are responding.
"A lot of things go through people's minds when they get in a tense situation. I don't want to rely on an officer having to do this," Moore said.
The cameras will also run in the background, capturing the 30 seconds before it's even activated. Moroe said the program took years to nail down and didn't face much criticism.
"That's why we went through such a long trial period testing systems that would work best in Jeffersonville," Council President Matt Owens said.
The city council also said the police administration and the FOP were part of the process.
"If there was any major concerns, I would've heard about it and everyone's real happy with it, " Donnie Croft said.
Retired Jeffersonville police officer and 5th District City Councilman Donnie Croft said implementing the body-worn cameras is all about accountability.
"It's so that the public and the taxpayers can see both sides of the situation. and you hear this all the time but there's nothing more true, cameras don't lie," Croft said. "We've waited long enough to get this plan and they got it right."
The police department plans to have policies in place for any officers who misuse or don't comply with the body camera procedures.
The contract will be paid for by the city's capital improvement fund specifically for IT and hardware purchases, according to Owens.
The program will cost $522,000 to be paid over five years with new cameras added twice over that period.
Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.
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