Beginning this Thursday, December 1, Hawaiʻi County Police Department patrol sergeants will be outfitted with Body Worn Cameras (BWC) in all districts across Big Island. Sergeants will be wearing the Axon Body 2, which is the same camera used by patrol officers since late 2020, with no additional budgetary costs. The Axon Body 2 camera is used by most law enforcement agencies around the nation. Recordings from the cameras can be used to demonstrate transparency to the public, document statements, observations, and behaviors by both law enforcement and the public. In an effort to provide transparency to the community, the Police Department uses body cameras as a means by which real time evidence and activity can be captured in an environment that cannot be duplicated. Sergeants will activate the cameras when they have contact with the public and stop the recording once they are done with an incident. Patrol Sergeants will use their discretion in instances where a victim requests not to be on camera and may turn it off if asked. However, if the situation requires their taking law enforcement action, the camera will remain on. HPD will keep all body wearing camera videos for a minimum of two years. Videos that are associated with a case will be kept for as long as is necessary until the case is adjudicated. If a member of the public is involved in an incident and wants a copy of the footage the officer took during that encounter, they can submit a formal request to the police chief’s office.
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