PEA RIDGE -- As they prepare for their shifts, don their vests and attach gear, from now on police officers with the Pea Ridge Police Department will add one more piece of equipment. Each officer will wear a body camera that can record video and audio as well as take still photographs.
The small rectangular black box fits securely on the officer's chest and will provide an additional dimension of security for both the officer and the public, according to the department.
"The Pea Ridge Police Department's goals and objectives in deploying body-worn cameras are the accurate documentation of interactions between our officers and members of the public, arrests, and other critical incidents," according to a press release issued by the department.
"It's going help officers with transparency," Police Chief Lynn Hahn said. "If anyone has questions ... if we get complaints against an officer, we'll be able to see what happened, not just hear."
He said the evidence gained will be invaluable for court cases and will provide a more secure and efficient means of sharing evidence and case information with prosecutors.
In the past, officers have used their own personal phones for photographs. Now, Hahn said, they can take pictures with the camera and automatically upload the photographs to the cloud.
"I think it's going to save us time in the long-run in document management," Hahn said. The photographs and videos are uploaded to the cloud, and any evidence or documents pertaining to that case can be added.
Hahn said previously sharing case files with prosecutors could be very laborious. With the software, it is simplified. The department can share a link to prosecutors to receive the necessary information.
Officer Justin Lawson was the first Pea Ridge officer to return to the station with video. He placed the camera in the dock, and the images were quickly uploaded to the cloud and available on the computer.
As he reviewed the files, Matt Dugas, national director of business development for Intrensic, noted the information available on the file. Dugas was in Pea Ridge last week to train officers on the use of the camera and software.
Dugas said the range of the camera is 140 degrees and the camera is capable of taking still photographs while recording. He said no officer has the ability to delete a video; all video is uploaded to the cloud.
As part of the training, Dugas told each officer to turn the camera on at the beginning of their shift. It is to remain on standby until they receive a call.
"Once they hang up the microphone, they activate the camera," Dugas said. "When they exit the vehicle, they're always recording."
Hahn said it may take practice but would soon become automatic for each officer.
Each video is numbered, and once in the computer, they will have incident numbers attached to them. The officer's location and badge number are embedded in the video as well.
"The implementation of body-worn cameras is an example of the Police Department's commitment to being transparent with our community. Additionally, the Pea Ridge Police Department officers have embraced the use of the cameras and understand their need in policing today," Hahn said.
According to the press release, "The use of the cameras increases transparency and provides an opportunity to capture the excellent work that the police officers do daily. Additionally, this equipment will enable department supervisors and administrators to conduct periodic reviews of officer-citizen contacts for quality control purposes and will aid in the investigation of citizen complaints."
"There is unlimited storage," Dugas said, explaining that one of the goals of Intrinsic was to provide a package to law enforcement that didn't contain hidden costs. He said redaction is possible on all videos to abide by law.
"We're actually providing a case management system ... providing the city with an evidence management package than happens to work with body cameras," Dugas said. "We used to say we sold body cameras ... but nowadays, we're actually providing the entire package. They can take it and organize, share it with prosecutors."
"Any of the things that go along with the case, like witness statements ... we actually can upload to this as well, if case comes up and prosecutor needs can give them a ink and they can access it," Hahn said.
Lawson said it didn't feel different using the camera.
"I was aware of it because it was new," he said. "We've always been advised: There's always a camera, whether you have one or not."
Dugas said Intrinsic has sold body cameras to about 300 departments in 20 to 25 states.
"The biggest thing is support. I think our service is some of the best," he said.
Hahn agreed.
"Before the sale as well as during and after," Hahn said. "We've been looking at this for a couple of years. They have been very helpful. They even gave us a couple of demos."
The cost of implementing the body-worn camera program is $39,229, and it is being completely paid for separate from the city budget. Hahn applied for funds via The Arkansas Department of Public Safety Equipment Grant Program, and the department was awarded $27,091. The balance of $12,138 is being paid by the Pea Ridge Fraternal Order of Police, which is able to assist because of contributions received over the past several months from local residents, businesses and charitable organizations.