Body Cameras for White Plains Police Officers by the Fall

Looking to “protect the integrity of the organization,” all uniformed White Plains police officers will be equipped with body-mounted video cameras by the fall, making White Plains the first force in Westchester utilizing the technology.

The cameras will record police encounters and arrests, and could reduce citizen complaints of alleged police misconduct. Major police forces in Chicago and Detroit, among others, have begun testing or using the small cameras.

A total of 50 White Plains police officers will be equipped with the cameras, at a total cost of about $80,000, reports The Journal News.

“I think they add accountability for both police officers and the public,” White Plains Police Lt. Todd Moskalik told The Journal News. Moskalik managed the department’s tests using the apparatus, which began last summer. “They protect the integrity of the organization and the individual officer by showing an entire incident, not just snippets caught on cell phones.”

Body cams can record video and audio and are small enough to wear on an officer’s shirt, jacket or belt. Some departments, though not White Plains, have used similar cameras that are mounted to eye glasses.

White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong, who oversees the police and fire departments, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. White Plains is not the only area force that tested the technology; police departments in Yonkers, Greenburgh, and Ossining have also conducted tests or considered it, but White Plains is the first to say it will implement the cameras.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy told Patch in a statement that such equipment adds transparency to policing.

“While they are not the be-all-end-all, I believe body cameras will strengthen police and community relations,” McCarthy said.

The White Plains body cam initiative was praised by the area chapter of the NAACP. The issue of the use of body cams reached a critical point nationally last summer following incidents where police actions were questioned during arrests, particularly involving African-American citizens.

President Barack Obama last year sought funding from congress to help outfit police departments with the devices, following the civil unrest in Ferguson, MO, according to the Washington Times.

“I’m very pleased that this is actually coming to fruition,” Lena Anderson, president of the White Plains-Greenburgh NAACP, told The Journal News.

Photo: By the fall, White Plains uniformed police officers will begin wearing body cameras similar to the one pictured. Patch file photo

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