Centre County, Bellefonte team up to provide body cameras to more police officers
By the summer, all Centre County municipal police officers will be equipped with body cameras.
In September, Bellefonte police and the Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna urged the Bellefonte Borough Council to purchase body cameras for the 11-man department, the only municipal department in the county without the technology; however, the borough was unable to afford the purchase on its own. But on Monday night, council members unanimously approved the $25,000 purchase — an expense officials say will enhance safety for officers and residents.
To help with the cost, Centre County provided $15,000 to help purchase the cameras.
“The need for (cameras) was not a question,” Bellefonte Police Chief Shawn Weaver said. “These things are becoming more and more prevalent in law enforcement just as much as a Taser or any of the gadgets we wear on our belts. I don’t know how much more we can put on ourselves.”
Weaver said body cameras increase transparency and accountability of officers and the public, adding that the technology adds a “layer of safety” to the community. The department looked into getting the cameras over a year ago, Weaver said, but due to expensive costs, the borough was unable to purchase them sooner.
The most expensive technology is video storage, said Bellefonte Police Sgt. Jason Brower. The department plans to purchase five years’ worth of digital storage. Footage will be stored depending on the nature of the crime. Brower said Bellefonte will model its video archive policies off of other local municipal departments.
In December, the board of commissioners approved the purchase of 14 body cameras for the Centre County Sheriff’s Office. Cantorna said the sheriff’s office plans to have their body cameras up and running by June and Bellefonte police by the end of April at the latest.
“It’s all there in black in white,” Cantorna said. “It makes officers better officers. It makes cases just that much easier to process. It ensures that when you’re supervising your law enforcement, your officers, your cops on the street, you’re seeing what’s actually happening, and it builds that integrity in our justice system that we really want.”
Penn State and state police remain without cameras but expressed a desire to add or research their implementation earlier this year.
