By Joe Mulé, Director of Training, Principis Group Inc
Body-worn camera (BWC) and in-car video (ICV) systems are among the most beneficial pieces of equipment in modern day policing. Many police administrators, however, underestimate the complexities of managing these programs, regardless of agency size, and also fail to dedicate sufficient resources. This article is but one example. Comparing equipment, assessing system features and selecting the solution provider are the easy, albeit most costly, parts of launching a program. Frequently, police administrators fail to give careful consideration to the resources required for, among many things: proper policy development, training development and implementation, video records requests and, perhaps most importantly, the day to day maintenance of the program. It is not a matter of if, but when, issues will arise. Videos will be mislabeled or categorized, activation rates will be at unacceptable levels, a camera will malfunction, get lost or break, accidental recordings will occur, an officer will record with the wrong camera, and prosecutors will want video evidence including the metadata, transcriptions and audit trail for both the recording, and occasionally, the device too. These are just a few examples of the activities that must be handled by agencies on a daily basis. Don't dedicate resources to your BWC/ICV program before you determine what needs to be done and how to properly do it. Are you sure your agency is doing the right things to ensure your BWC/ICV program is effectively and efficiently managed?
Principis Group has in excess of a combined two decades of experience in Body-Worn Camera program development and management. Contact us today for your 1 hour complimentary consultation on BWC/ICV Program Management.
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