![]() “I reviewed the body cam footage and it was 100% the opposite of what the guy was saying,” the chief said.Īfter showing the footage to the man, he said the individual decided not to file the complaint.īut in incidents like the recent foot chase, there’s typically a moment that the camera wouldn’t catch - right before the officer presses the button and begins the chase. Upon that person’s request to file a complaint against the officer, Martineau asked if he could review the camera footage before the man took that step. He used the example of an individual’s claim that one of his officers acted inappropriately when taking him into custody after a chase on foot. “It’s going to protect them (police), and it’s going to protect the public from misallegations,” Martineau said. The body cameras can be activated in three ways: when the officer turns on his cruiser’s blue strobe lights removes his firearm from its holster or presses the button on the front of the camera twice.īody cameras serve a dual purpose by protecting both civilians and law enforcement alike. It brings a level of transparency greater than we have ever seen.” “All of our interactions are being recorded. “The level of policing it now creates is extraordinary,” Martineau, a 37-year FPD veteran, told the newspaper. He said the move - three years in development - has been well worth the effort. Police Chief Ernest Martineau joined the others in his ranks on that day by affixing a body camera to his uniform before going to work. The remainder of the department will be outfitted in 2024, when another 215 cameras will go into service, according to a department press release.Ī copy of the current body-worn camera policy, obtained by the newspaper at the time of the announcement, states that all uniformed officers equipped with cameras must record contact with civilians, for example, during situations including traffic stops, crash investigations, K-9 searches, booking procedures, pursuit driving, and any contact that becomes adversarial, including a “use of force incident.”Īnd now, with the recent rollout at another Gateway City police department, the LPD can observe how body cams work when every officer on the force wears them. The plan is to rotate the program after six months to 30 new officers, allowing a total of 60 officers to gain experience with the cameras during the course of the pilot program. In doing so, the LPD hopes to resolve any logistical issues prior to fully implementing the program next year.Īs part of this initial introduction, then-interim Superintendent Barry Golner said 10 officers will wear the devices each shift, including two supervisors. In this heightened nationwide atmosphere of extraordinary scrutiny on the performance of police officers, the Lowell Police Department launched a body-camera pilot program in April, which entails equipping 30 officers with those devices. ![]()
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