Centerville police to get body-worn cameras

Centerville CIty Council voted on Monday, July 11, 2022, to approve the purchase of body-worn cameras for Centerville Police Department. FILE PHOTO

Credit: FILE

Credit: FILE

Centerville CIty Council voted on Monday, July 11, 2022, to approve the purchase of body-worn cameras for Centerville Police Department. FILE PHOTO

Centerville is buying body-worn cameras for its police officers, adding the city to a growing list of area law enforcement agencies that have done the same in recent months.

The purchase was approved by Centerville City Council during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday. The city also will buy updated in-car cameras.

“We had the opportunity to trial and evaluate camera models from three different companies over the past several months,” Centerville Police Chief Matthew Brown told City Manager Wayne Davis in a recent memo. “The Motorola Solutions product was determined to be the best fit for our department and was the lowest cost of the three options.”

The total 5-year cost for all necessary equipment, data storage, training and maintenance is $285,200.

The city of Centerville will be reimbursed $115,000 from the State of Ohio via an Ohio Body Worn Camera grant. That brings its actual five-year cost for the body-worn cameras to $170,200, which Brown said is “significantly less” than the budgeted amount of $325,000.

The police department has utilized in-car cameras in marked cruisers since 2004, he said.

The body-worn cameras will be introduced during the fourth quarter of this year pending the availability of equipment and installation, Brown said.

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