CHARLEMONT — A new body camera policy for police officers is currently in a trial period and will officially go into effect on Sept. 15.
According to interim Police Chief Kyle Sweeney, the policy outlining the use of the new body cameras aligns with Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission guidelines. He added that the Charlemont department’s crew of officers have all worn body cameras at other departments.
“We are all major supporters of this program,” he said. “Everybody’s on board in the agency.”
According to Sweeney, the department already bought the cameras using a $4,487 grant from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA).
During Monday’s Selectboard meeting, Co-Chair Kim Blakeslee expressed a concern for the public’s privacy.
“I’m all about safety, safety of the public. I’m all about safety of our officers and I think that’s important,” Blakeslee said. “I also understand the importance of having documentation in case there’s liability issues … but then there are other pieces of it that sound really intrusive to a person’s privacy.”
While answering Blakeslee’s question regarding when the officers will turn the body cameras on and off, Sweeney said the cameras remain on “standby mode” when an officer is on duty and start recording 30 seconds before an encounter. He assured Blakeslee that civilians can ask the officers not to record if the officers are entering their homes based on consent, unless the police have proper justification. The officers must document every request and denial of a request to turn off the body cameras, and flag any video that includes juveniles.
According to Sweeney, the footage will automatically upload to the Axon company’s system that also logs when the video is recorded and deleted. Regular audits of the department will uncover any violations of the body camera policy, Sweeney noted.
“It’s good to have that little bit of oversight,” he said.
Officer Jim Galeas mentioned that the officers will inform citizens that they are being filmed, including during traffic stops.
“You guys are professionals. … It seems pretty cut and dry to me,” said Selectboard member Wilder Sparks before he and Blakeslee voted to enact the policy. Selectboard Co-Chair Jared Bellows abstained from the vote as the town’s former police chief, but said he supported the new body cameras.
Although Sweeney said he crafted the body camera policy as a patrol officer, he said the department now has the resources to make the policy possible. With Massachusetts State Police and nearby towns using body cameras, the policy also helps Charlemont fall in line with other agencies in the area, Sweeney added.
“The body cameras are really important tools for us,” Sweeney said. “It protects not only us, it protects private citizens, it protects everybody within view of the camera. Overall, I just think it’s a positive outcome.”
