In an effort to increase transparency, uniformed officers with the Overland Park Police Department will now be wearing body cameras while on patrol.
More than 200 officers working in traffic safety, emergency services, patrol, community policing, and school resource officers will wear the cameras.
Cameras can capture audio and video anytime the camera is powered on. The cameras are also capable of activating automatically when an officer’s patrol car’s lights and sirens are activated, decreasing the number of steps required for documentation in an emergency.
“We’re excited to bring this technology on board,” said Police Chief Frank Donchez. “The cameras will provide more transparency for our officers and the people and community we serve every day.”
Implementation of the body camera system comes after a field testing pilot program. Officers tested two different models of body cameras in 2018 and 2019.
The cameras, in-house data storage, and long-term cloud storage and maintenance is funded by a $750,000 project in the 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Program.