The Oxford Police Department is using new technology to validate officer interactions with the public.
Nearly a year before the Charleston shooting, the department purchased body cameras for patrol officers to wear on duty. Initially, OPD purchased 45 body cameras, one for every patrol officer, at $115 a piece. The cameras are located on the chest of each patrol officer and are to be used during any public interaction.
Patrol sergeant David Sabin said wearing the body camera makes him more aware of situations and gives visual evidence of things his car camera cannot see, but the cameras have disadvantages as well.
“If someone says something did or didn’t happen, we can show them by using the footage – that’s an advantage,” Sabin said. “A disadvantage is it doesn’t have peripheral vision.”
To wear a body camera, OPD patrol sergeants have to go through department training. Sheridan Maiden, major of administrative services, said the trainings are used to teach sergeants how to operate the cameras.
“We went through the department policies for each officer,” Maiden said. “We also made sure they knew how to turn them on and off and how to download the videos.”
According to Maiden, each patrol sergeant wearing a body camera has the ability to turn the cameras on and off at any time, but they are responsible for providing video when it is needed. Videos that are obtained from the cameras are used to help determine questionable cases. Maiden said patrol sergeants are held accountable if information is missing.
“If there is a reason for interaction and no video, they have to answer to that,” Maiden said.
Maiden said OPD purchased the body cameras as a way of validating officer involvement with the public, and the cameras were not intended to intimidate the public. He said he wants OPD to gain a lot of training from the cameras.
“We can look at these videos and see how well we are doing our jobs,” Maiden said. “The videos will also allow us to refresh our memory on certain situations we may not remember clearly.”
Melissa Loria, Ph. D. candidate in cognitive psychology and Oxford resident, said she was unaware OPD had been using body cameras.
“I really like hearing that OPD has instituted the use of body cameras,” Loria said. “This shows a measure being taken on the part of OPD to be proactive about introducing this technology into their system.”
Loria said if the public understands the purpose of the body cameras and exactly how they work, there will be a positive response from the public, but she is really interested in the filming policies and regulations.
“I do feel the use of the body cameras is an important and necessary step to protecting the lives and integrity of both civilians and police officers,” Loria said. “But as long as police officers are determining when to turn their cameras off and on, human error will continue to play a significant role.”
Loria said that it’s just not enough.
“As scientists, we need to continue to research these issues to better understand all of the factors playing a role in police brutality cases,” Loria said. “We have to also focus on education, training and to be aware of human error as a possibility.”
