Canton Police To Roll Out Body Cameras

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Canton, GA -- With the approval to go ahead and purchase body worn camera devices, the Canton Police Department will soon roll out these new tools for their officers to utilize on the job.

The agency purchased 33 Watch Guard Vista body cameras for officers in the Uniform Patrol, Traffic and Code Enforcement divisions.

After Jan. 1, 2016, the agency will begin deploying the devices to the aforementioned divisions. The agency wants residents to be informed on what to expect from the new technology, including the program’s benefits and limitations.

The cameras will be worn on the front of the officer’s uniform; it records high definition resolution video/audio and has a wide angle field of view.

Furthermore, video evidence of a single incident captured by the camera will be auto linked with in-car cameras of their police units in an effort to deliver a more accurate portrayal of events encountered by officers.

Detectives in the Canton Police Department Criminal Investigation Division will also have the cameras at their disposal when they are conducting investigations in the field.

Canton police are working with the city’s Information Technology Department and the vendor to provide training to all officers about the device’s nomenclature and policy that governs the use of the camera system.

Canton police state the implementation of body cameras will enhance its ability to serve the community. Specifically, the agency stipulates the cameras will:

• Strengthen police accountability by documenting incidents and encounters between officers and the public;
• Prevent confrontational situations by improving officer professionalism and the behavior of people being recorded;
• Resolve officer-involved incidents and complaints by providing a more accurate record of events;
• Improve agency transparency by allowing the public to see video evidence of police activities and encounters;
• Identify and correct internal agency problems by revealing officers who engage in misconduct and agency-wide problems;
• Strengthen officer performance by using footage for officer training and monitoring; and
• Improve evidence documentation for investigations and prosecutions.

While there are positives, the Canton Police Department also said it realizes there are some limitations that could go along with the initiative, including how the body movement of an officer can diminish what the camera is able to record.

These cameras also don’t account for human perception — what an officer believes they saw — or take into account what information the officer received or knew before he or she got to the scene, the agency said.

“We are very eager and excited to implement the Body Worn Camera System after the first of the New Year,“ said Police Chief Mark Mitchell. “I want to highlight the fact that our officers do an excellent job of professionally serving this community every day. The addition of this program will be another added step in our desire to strengthen police accountability, improve agency transparency and continue to build the vital trust we need with our citizens, especially during this time in our nation’s history.”

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Images via Canton Police Department