Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Police in Middletown Township will soon have cameras installed in their patrol vehicles.
The department recently received 35 in-car camera systems from Watch Guard Digital, which were purchased earlier this year at the price of $209,025. Chief Joseph Bartorilla said the cameras systems are in the process of being installed in all vehicles used for patrol work.
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Bartorilla, who came to Middletown after a career policing in Philadelphia, said he knows the use of cameras in law enforcement is here to stay. That’s why the department is adding the systems that will record police interactions with the public.
“It’s only a matter of time before every police department in the nation is required to have either in-car or body cameras. Several municipalities and states have either passed or are currently proposing legislation requiring in car or body cameras for police officers,” he said, adding that New Jersey passed a law last year law requiring all new police vehicles to be equipped with an in-car camera.
Despite their cost, in-car cameras have been used to provide great accountability for police and the individuals they encounter.
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A nationwide focus on police in-car and body-worn cameras started after the events in Ferguson, Missouri last year.
Bartorilla sees in-car and body cameras as a great officer safety tool that can be used in prosecution, internal affairs investigations and to increase public trust and transparency. He added footage obtained from them can be used to train new officers.
Tullytown Borough Chief of Police Daniel Doyle told LevittownNow.com in December that in-car cameras have help decreased complaints against officers.
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Bartorilla said an in-car camera could have come in handy earlier this year when an officer was struck by sideview mirror of a passing pickup truck while assisting a motorist pulled over to the side of Langhorne-Yardley Road. The officer was not seriously hurt and the pickup did not stop.
” If we had had in-car cameras, it likely would have captured the rear of the truck that struck the officer, and we would have gotten color, make, model, license plate number, and any other distinguishing characteristics. If we couldn’t get a license plate, we could have released the video to the public to see if anyone had information on the truck,” the chief said. “Just from that story, the camera would have assisted in an investigation and served as an officer safety tool.”
“I believe cameras also add a layer of professionalism to a police department. Having in-car or body cameras is considered a best practice in law enforcement.”
