Dartmouth Police Feedback ‘Positive’ After First Body Camera Trial
DARTMOUTH — The Dartmouth Police Department has wrapped up its first 30-day trial of body cameras worn by officers, and according to the program supervisor, the feedback has been all positive.
The town is among the first communities in the region to test out the cameras for its police department.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are increasingly using the technology to help increase transparency and community trust.
Dartmouth Police Sergeant Joseph Rapoza, who supervised the trial run, said that the department received a lot of positive feedback from the officers using the cameras.
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"[There's] a lot of relief of having a full version of events recorded, as opposed to snippets of events that are recorded," Rapoza said.
And despite officers with body cameras having one more thing to think about on the job, he added, "overall, it's been all positive feedback."
The department is currently applying for grants from the state, and Rapoza said Police Chief Brian Levesque is in the process of negotiating prices with two different potential body camera vendors.
Rapoza said he expects to start a second 30-day trial run using cameras made by a different company in the near future.
According to Rapoza, the entire department will likely start using the body cameras by next year.
"I think eventually, every police department's going to have it," he added.
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