Federal grant funds have helped to equip police officers in Ark City with new body-worn camera technology, the city announced Tuesday. The department has used body cams for seven years.
An approximately $150,000 contract with Utility Inc. has outfitted officers with Eos by Utility camera technology. Successful training and subsequent deployment of the new cameras has already taken place.
The technologies facilitate policy-based, high-speed data collection to deliver instant, clear, and secure intelligence to support increased transparency and accountability between the Arkansas City Police Department and the community, according to a media release from the police department.
“We utilized a committee of employees to weigh our options for body-worn camera replacement. The Arkansas City Police Department has been utilizing body cameras since 2015. The Utility Body Worn Solution was identified as the top choice of three platforms based on the reliability that the camera will not come off of the officer, the ability to remotely upload footage to cloud storage from the field, and the officer down function to increase the safety of our personnel,” Arkansas City Police Chief Eric Burr said.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran assisted the Arkansas City Police Department with a grant to help offset the costs of the cameras. Sen. Moran was in Ark City Monday to talk at the Noon Rotary meeting in the Cowley College Brown Center.
“As a lead appropriator for the Department of Justice, I worked to secure this federal investment to make certain Kansas law enforcement professionals are provided with the resources necessary to protect and serve our communities,” said Sen. Moran. “I want to recognize and commend the work of Police Chief Eric Burr and all others who serve with the Arkansas City Police Department.”
The cameras, which are embedded in the officers’ uniforms to prevent them from detaching and utilizes artificial intelligence to create situational awareness. It offers features like a two-minute buffer, which allows for capturing two minutes of video before the camera is activated, along with automatic, policy-based recording functionalities designed to remove the burden from the officers to turn on the cameras.
These functions will turn the camera on anytime the officer draws their handgun from its holster; begins to run; jostles or shakes, such as during a fight; activates lights and/or sirens in the car; unlocks the shotgun/rifle rack; or lies flat for 10 seconds – this feature, known as Officer Down, notifies all cars in the district that an officer needs immediate assistance.
(ABOVE PHOTO: Ark City officers and Utility Inc. representatives worked together to launch use of the new body camera technology. Courtesy photo.)