PELL CITY – The police department is hoping to purchase new cameras for patrol cars in the next few weeks.Police Chief Greg Turley said the police department has eight new police cars that need cameras and currently 12 of their current cameras are in the shop.
Turley said he wants a new, more maintenance free camera for police vehicles.
He said the old police vehicle cameras are no longer manufactured and tapes for the older cameras are extremely hard to find.
Turley said the lack of operable police car cameras have restricted the use of many cars by police.
“We have very strict policies in place when it comes to cameras in patrol vehicles,” Turley said. “Our standard operating procedure will not allow our officers to operate a car on active patrol without a camera.”
He said because of the policy, some vehicles are doing double duty, increasing maintenance costs for the police department.
Turley said some officers are riding together, two officers per car, because police vehicle cameras are in the repair shop.
The police department got a reprieve Thursday when the council voted for a 15-day moratorium, so police officers could temporarily use police vehicles without cameras. Although, the council wants at least one patrol car with an operable camera on duty for every shift.
The council also approved to solicit bids for new patrol vehicle cameras.
Turley said new state-of-the-art cameras cost about $4,030, and will record audio and video inside and outside a patrol car without obstructing the view of the police officer.
“It’s a good price for it,” he said.
The new cameras will have memory cards, like digital cameras, and video from the shift is downloaded onto a police department computer.
Turley said the new cameras have no moving parts and carry a 3-year warranty.
He said cameras capture prior, during and after an event from inside the police vehicle.
Turley said the cameras not only play a role in helping deter liability issues, but cameras also change the behavior of people being pulled over by police officers.
“The camera takes the emotions and personalities out of an issue,” Turley added.
Mayor Adam Stocks said city administrators are searching for money to pay for the cameras, but have not located funds for the expense.
“I’m a huge believer in these cameras,” Stocks said. “Without the cameras, it’s he said, she said.”
Councilman Ed Pennington, a former Pell City police officer, said the cameras are vital for patrol officers.
“The cameras are the best thing for the police department,” Pennington said.
Turley said the cameras, once purchased, can be delivered within two days.
