Local News

New police body cams give insight, not every answer

ALPENA -- Cameras increase police accountability, but they can't answer every question residents may have about police interactions with the community, a police leader said.

Troopers at the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post on Friday completed training with new body-worn cameras, received on Thursday after approval in the state budget last fall.

Like dashboard cameras already installed in troopers' cars, the body cameras will give another layer of protection to both officers and the public -- but the devices can't see everything, said 1st Lt. John Grimshaw, commander at the post.

Sheriffs' deputies in Presque Isle and Montmorency counties have worn body cameras for some time.

With 1,100 troopers to outfit, the Michigan State Police was slower to adopt the expensive technology, Grimshaw said.

While the cameras themselves -- Motorola V300s, at $1,500 apiece -- cost plenty, digital storage for the enormous quantity of electronic data they gather costs even more, stored in the cloud through a company contracted with the state.

To avoid unnecessary data collection, officers won't start recording unless they think an interaction will lead to enforcement action that could result in a criminal charge, Grimshaw said.

The cameras will also begin recording any time a trooper turns on a squad car's sirens.

Police will keep video from run-of-the-mill traffic stops and minor police interactions for only a few months. Other video, from arrests or other critical incidents, will probably stay in police hands forever, he said.

The cameras record with a 130-degree angle and can only record in the same direction as the officer's body, so the devices won't catch everything an officer can see and may be blocked by an officer's arm or other obstruction.

Still, the video will serve to affirm an officer's version of what happened during an incident -- a verification increasingly demanded by the public, Grimshaw said.

"For whatever reason, people don't seem to believe the word of the police officer anymore," Grimshaw said. "Which is disheartening, to say the least."

Police will voluntarily release video when appropriate, taking into consideration the need to protect victims and to avoid damaging an ongoing investigation. Police will release some footage to prevent the spread of false narratives, Grimshaw said.

Other footage, recorded when police respond to tragedies and horrific situations, most people wouldn't want to see, he said.

Troopers can access recorded video to verify information while creating reports. A phone app lets troopers access their recordings and see a live feed from the perspective of their camera.

They can also use footage to review their actions to check for possible room for improvement. Post administrators will randomly check trooper video as a layer of accountability, Grimshaw said.

The cameras' presence should eliminate some complaints about officer behavior -- offering proof that troopers behaved appropriately during an interaction -- and can give the department a basis on which to take appropriate action if an officer did not follow rules, he said.

The public may see police cameras as a way to confirm what did -- or did not -- happen during police encounters, but the devices can't provide an unobstructed view into police interactions, Grimshaw said.

"The camera has no emotion," he said. "It's not the tell-tale answer for every single thing that happens."

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.