Mooresville police are getting body cameras. Here is everything you need to know.
MOORESVILLE - The Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department is receiving body cameras in an effort to improve the safety of officers and citizens, and streamline the operational capacities of the department.
Police Chief Kerry Buckner told the Mooresville Town Council on Tuesday, Sept. 20 that he has been working closely with Motorola Solutions to secure the body cameras as part of a five-year grant the town has been awarded by the Department of Justice. The grant allocates a total of $17,600 to finance the cameras and geographic information system (GIS) software.
The town is responsible for matching $4,400 of that total every year, according to Buckner. Buckner said he is required to reapply for the grant each year throughout its five-year duration.
He outlined several of the grant's stipulations, including the deadline for when the cameras are to be installed and functioning.
"We have to make sure the cameras are on our officers and in operation by the end of the year or we lose the grant," Buckner said.
The devices in question are V300 Body-Worn Cameras that are also equipped with GIS technology. The cameras can hold 128 gigabytes of storage space and contain a 12-hour detachable battery. Officers will also have the ability to upload evidence and videos captured on the devices wirelessly and with unlimited cloud storage. Other features include a digital evidence management system that would enable them to link videos to reported incidents.
The GIS software aids officers with capturing addresses and identifying information that is often critical to response calls or investigations, such as locating addresses, pinpointing address points and receiving jurisdictional information.
Buckner presented two financing options before the council. The first choice involves paying $18,382 during the first year. The next four years would feature a reduced price of $14,112, which is below the allotted grant funds. The second one involves paying $16,119 during the first year with a fixed price of $15,624 in the subsequent years, which is slightly more than the first option.
The Motorola subscription features a hardware update after the third year where body cameras, mounts and chargers will be replaced at no additional fee. That is included in the subscription cost.
"I looked at the camera system and it is a really nice system. It integrates with our current reporting system," Buckner said. "It also gives a couple of extra things for the town. So people can get on our website and actually see where our officers have been on different runs."
The council unanimously approved a motion permitting the police chief to move forward with the purchase of the cameras.
Buckner revealed that he will now focus on crafting a policy on how to appropriately use the new cameras and technology.
"Before they are out on the street, I will get a policy together and take it before the police commission so we can get it approved," Buckner said. "So we have some guidelines for the officers for when they are supposed to use their cameras and when they are not supposed to use their cameras."
The next meeting of the Mooresville Town Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Mooresville Government Center, 4 E. Harrison St., Mooresville.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Mooresville police are getting body cameras. Here is everything you need to know.
