Plymouth Township OKs Police Body Cameras

In an effort to keep the men and women protecting and serving Plymouth Township residents safe in the line of duty, the Plymouth Township Council set the wheels in motion for the implementation of body worn cameras for the Plymouth Township Police Department.

The Council, at this month’s workshop meeting, approved a five-year all-inclusive contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the lease of 18 body cameras, 21 in-car cameras, plus cloud storage of data for $265,218.

The body worn cameras and in fleet cameras will sync together, which allows for several angles of a scene to be captured. Fleet cameras will activate when emergency lights are turned on.

Body worn cameras are recording devices that police wear on their uniforms to document what they see while performing their duties. Close to three dozen states, as well as the District of Columbia have created laws for body cameras.

Studies have shown that citizen complaints related to alleged use of force have dropped significantly among police departments with body cameras in place. In addition, body cameras can deter instances of violence against police as suspects fear their actions would be recorded and used as evidence.

Plymouth Township Council Chairman Martin Higgins said, “I believe this will benefit our officers and improve transparency.”

Plymouth Township Police Chief Joseph Lawrence thanked the governing body for providing this added layer of protection for his officers.

Police officers can be assured that the cameras will function properly throughout the contract. As part of the agreement, Axon will replace all cameras mid-way through the contract, in two-and-a-half years. Cameras are under warranty for the duration of the contract and will be repaired or replaced free of charge.

In addition to Plymouth Township, many other police departments throughout the region use Axon body cameras, including Philadelphia Police Department, Pittsburgh Police Department, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Treddyffrin Township Police Department, Bloomsburg Police Department, Kennett Square Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. According to its Website, more than 17,000 law enforcement departments in more than 100 countries use Axon products.