For Immediate Release: 2/16/2023 11:26 pm
Media event to be held at Headquarters prior to roll out
Who: Mayor Joseph Petty, Chair of Public Safety, Councilor Kate Toomey, City Manager Eric Batista, and Chief Steven Sargent.
What: The Worcester Police Department will launch its Body Camera Program on February 27, 2023. Members of the media are invited to participate in a press conference and demonstration of the equipment prior to the launch to further inform the public of this new technology. Three hundred officers will be equipped with body cameras during their shifts. All officers have been trained on how to properly use the equipment. In addition, a Pilot Program was conducted in 2019.
When: 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Where: Worcester Police Headquarters, Squad Room, 9-11 Lincoln Square, Worcester
Background Information:
The forthcoming Body Worn Camera (BWC) Program will equip our officers with body-worn cameras for the purpose of increased accountability and transparency, improved community relations and evidence with an emphasis on strengthening public trust in the department. In order to maximize these benefits, there were several actions that needed to be taken prior to adoption, deployment and implementation.
There has been an exhaustive amount of work put into the design of the BWC program including community engagement, research and training; the result of which you will find in the following report.
The complex use surrounding BWC’s required a deliberate approach to deployment, as well as considerations for the long-term goals of the program.
Research for the BWC program began in the summer of 2018. Officers engaged in extensive research on the equipment. After compiling available information and reviewing feedback from other agencies using the equipment, seven officers gained basic training on the use of BWCs. The Command Staff along with the City Manager’s Office then began to explore the possibility of launching a pilot program. The pilot program would serve as the foundation on which a BWC program could be implemented. The successful completion of a pilot program would be a key first step in the overall process. The Command Staff began working with Axon Enterprise Inc. as the vendor of the pilot program. Axon agreed to provide twenty cameras at no charge for a pilot program.
The rollout of the BWC Pilot Program began at the beginning of 2019. During this field-testing phase, a Body Camera Task Force was created to ensure that the program responded to the interests and concerns of the community and department. A small group of officers were assigned to develop the pilot program and manage the program. The officers worked diligently to develop a pilot program policy and to train the department. Twenty officers volunteered to participate in the pilot program: 16 officers from the operations division, two from the traffic division, and two from the Neighborhood Response Team.
The pilot program ran from May to November of 2019, during which 7,707 videos were created, resulting in 1,100 hours of recorded video.
After the pilot program, there was an evaluation and assessment phase for much of 2020. During this phase, there was also a more in-depth evaluation of the cost to implement a program. The City received quotes from potential vendors and continued to review the equipment.
In 2021, the City and department responded to the interests and concerns of the residents they serve by hosting several community listening events surrounding the topic of BWC’s, most of which were facilitated by the Human Rights Commission. The meetings confirmed our belief that community involvement was paramount to the progression toward adopting a program.
A final proposal for BWC’s was filed with City Council in 2022 and a recommended policy was written. The implementation of BWC’s was approved representing a strong commitment to provide the department with the tools and resources necessary to keep our community and police officers safe. A contract for the technology and training was awarded to Axon, from whom the department acquired 300 body cameras and sixteen hours of training in the equipment and proper use of the body cameras. Officers were shown the equipment in detail, including mounting options and operation of the camera. In addition, officers learned how to use the online interface and how to input the data linking their incident to the video.
The recommended BWC policy was drafted by a team of Worcester Police Department officials with review and input from the City Solicitor’s office. While the ACLU does not endorse body camera policy, they did review and offer their input on the policy as requested by your honorable body. The policy has been shared and discussed with the entire Police Department with a high level of detail. Officers have developed a solid understanding of what is expected of them.
The technology is expected to enhance safety, accountability, and transparency.
