HARTFORD, Conn. — Every police officer in the capital city will soon be outfitted with a body camera.
Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody and Mayor Luke Bronin announced Tuesday the department got an additional 150 body cameras to compliment the 325 that were rolled out in 2019.
The cameras will be issued to everyone in the department from the Chief right down to the patrol officers, according to Thody.
Mayor Bronin said the cameras provide accountability and transparency.
“Effective law enforcement is based on that trust and cameras an important part of offering transparency to our community," Bronin said.
The new body cameras are made by Axon, the same company that provides the dash camera technology to Hartford PD patrol cars.
Thody noted that there have been a number of examples since the cameras were introduced in 2019 that have been useful in providing a more complete picture during critical incidents.
"This is a different time in law enforcement, and we know the vast majority of the time officers are going to go out and do the right thing at the right time and this is a way to protect them," the chief added.
The new technology will cosy the city of Hartford around $270,000. That number includes the new cameras, all the cloud storage and the maintenance and IT.
The cameras are leased to the city and can be updated with the latest technology in two and a half years.
"It’s a win-win when officers are wearing these cameras and when our communication has transparency," Mayor Bronin added.
Thody, who is getting training on his new body camera now, said there was initially resistance at first with officers and the union.
"But now that we have them (body cameras), a lot of officers won’t go out there without them," Thody said.
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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