Commission calls cop cams ‘essential’ at critical time

The Port Washington Police and Fire Commission on Monday asked the Common Council to buy as many as 20 new Axon body cameras for the police department, saying the devices are a necessity in a world where law enforcement officers have come under increasing scrutiny.

“To me, they are absolutely essential for any police department in this day and age,” Commission Chairman Rick Nelson said. “It documents things any time there’s an incident.

“I cannot think of any time when it’s been more important to have the right recollection of events than right now. They (cameras) are extremely important.”

Other commission members concurred.

“Given the current situation in the world, it’s very effective insurance,” commission member Jim Biever said. “One incident would cost you so much more.”

Police Chief Kevin Hingiss told the commission Monday that the cameras are helpful not only for the officers but prosecutors as well.

Given today’s fraught environment, he said, “I would say nowadays officers turn them on a lot more often than they used to.”

The department currently has 10 cameras, and Hingiss said they are nearing the end of their life.

“We have a limited amount of time before our cameras are obsolete,” he said.

Hingiss recommended that the city purchase 10 new cameras to be shared by officers at a cost of $27,000, which includes maintenance of the devices, tech support, replacement of any broken cameras and storage of the data.

Currently the department pays $200 a month to store data from its cameras, and maintenance is also paid by the department.

The five-year contract for the cameras would cost $10,000 annually after the first year, he said, but after 2-1/2 years and after five years, the department would receive new cameras.

“We’d always have the newest tech,” Hingiss said.

The cost could be trimmed slightly by eliminating a few features, he said, but those features are important.

The new cameras would be linked to the officer’s holster, and as soon as an officer would pull his gun or taser out, the camera would automatically begin recording, Hingiss said.

And, he said, the body camera of every officer within 20 feet would also begin recording then.

Typically, he said, officers decide when to turn the cameras on, noting that there’s no need to have them running nonstop.

“If they’re opening a door on a lock-out, they’re not going to turn it on,” he said. “Some calls, they turn them on automatically.”

Footage that’s recorded is kept for 137 days, he said, and if it isn’t checked within that time period it can be erased.

If the call results in an arrest, the footage is placed in evidence and can be reviewed by the district attorney, he said.

The footage can be invaluable if accusations are made against an officer, Hingiss said — something that happened a month after the department first got its cameras.

“I could say, we have the footage of this, let’s take a look,’” he said.

Nelson said he’s looked at footage after two incidents in which the department received complaints about an officer “and what the person was claiming was totally wrong,” he said. 

When they’re caught up in the moment, he noted, people often let their emotions color what’s happened. The cameras can take that emotion out.

Hingiss said the 10 cameras would be adequate, noting that there are only a few times when more officers are working at once.

During this summer’s protests and demonstrations against racial injustice, when more officers were working, he said, officers were paired up and one of them had a camera.

“I want a bit more of an insurance policy,” commission member Ed Johnson said, advocating to purchase more than 10 devices to ensure even if one camera was out of order there would be enough to cover the department.

“I’d feel more comfortable with an extra one or two.”

Biever agreed, saying, “I think we’d be foolish not to have everyone have a camera.”
“I’m always for having enough, and in this case, enough means everyone has one,” Nelson added.

Hingiss, who said the company would provide a couple spare cameras that the department could keep on hand, estimated the cost of the additional cameras would be $8,500 initially and $5,000 annually after that.

Hingiss said he believes the department will have enough money left in its budget at the end of the year to cover much if not all of the purchase, but said he wants to order the cameras now. It should take about a month to receive them, he added.

The commission asked the Common Council to approve the purchase and cover the price.

Biever asked if there may be state or federal grants to cover at least a portion of the cost. 

“The one thing all of the unrest has brought us is ... talk of grants (for body cameras),” Hingiss said. But, he said, those grants may not materialize.

Commission member Jennifer Clearwater said there may be private funds available to help with the purchase as well.

“I certainly wouldn’t be against a private citizen providing funding,” Hingiss said.