Given recent events around the nation such as the deaths in Charlotte, Baton Rouge and Tulsa, police departments across the country are now instituting body camera policies for all officers.
The Oxford Police Department has had these cameras in use long before such events.
“We really instituted body cameras long before last year,” Officer Sheridan Maiden said. “We did that prior to the Ferguson incident. We were just looking for tools to enhance what the officers are doing in the field as well as to get an idea about training needs and also being able to document officer activity and interactions.”
Officer J. Bramlett poses with new body cams. (Photo by: Ariel Cobbert)
Maiden is the administrative officer in charge of instituting new cameras for all officers this year. This new investment in more current cameras follows what he said was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback as a result of their initial use.
“We’ve seen some very positive things,” Maiden said. “It has been a very good tool of documenting our interactions with the public, but it has also been a very good tool for training and teaching aids.”
The new wave of cameras also stemmed from continued research and experience gained by having them for so many years, justifying a further investment in the technology.
Officer J. Bramlett poses with new body cams. (Photo by: Ariel Cobbert)
Although officers are not required to have the cameras on at all times, a department-wide policy has been put in place regarding proper operation and use of the equipment, as well as suggested areas where having the cameras on would be most beneficial.
“We have a policy in place that was instituted when we first brought out the body cameras,” Maiden said. “It has a discretionary section to it, but it also tells the officers, and suggests, when they should have the cameras on.”
The cameras also require a basic training regimen when given to an officer. With the new camera’s ease of operation, the training is very simple in nature, essentially teaching all officers how to turn the cameras on and off.
An extra cost has been incurred with the purchase of these new cameras. Each camera runs a cost of about $500, and Maiden placed an initial order of 20 cameras. However, he is looking to increase that number as more funding becomes available.
A call for accountability of officers has been a major theme over the course of the past couple years, something which body cameras have played a significant role in recently.
Junior accounting major Ryan Maddigan said the cameras could certainly increase accountability in the department and help settle any possible disputes that may arise between officers and citizens.
“I think that, although [Oxford Police Department] officers are trustworthy and would never abuse the power that is entrusted in them, body cameras could be a good idea,” Maddigan said.
