Bennington said he expects to see the Ohio Collaborative, which is an organization that standardizes policing in Ohio and certifies departments based on their standards, mandate the use of police body cameras within the next few years.
“The Ohio Collaborative is looking to mandate that at some point,” Bennington said during the council meeting. “We’re just getting ahead of the curve.”
Bennington said the purpose of the body-worn cameras is transparency, accountability and accuracy in reporting. Along with the body-worn cameras, the department also plans to buy 20 in-car base bundles, software and the installation, a transfer station for the video download, cloud storage, redaction software and an equipment refresh in the third year.
“I think it helps everyone when you have something like this, because in the spur of the moment, it’s hard to remember exactly what happened and what evidence, and I’m really glad our department is going towards this, so thank you,” said council member Donna Wilson.
Councilman Rob Hoffman asked Bennington if the officers were also behind the purchase.
“They were all for it,” Bennington said. “It’s time to move forward with this, and like you said, it does protect them as well.”
The Lexipol System is common among Ohio police departments. Bennington described Lexipol as a “non-biased third party” that could bring them the best policies and practices.
The subscription also comes with scenarios and training with the new policies, Bennington said.
He added the subscription could also reduce the amount and severity of litigation.
“You can’t get the equipment without getting the proper training and understanding the proper policies and rules,” said councilman Clint Allen. “This is one good package deal. I appreciate us suiting up our police force and taking care of them so they can take care of our citizens, so thank you.”
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