Body-worn cameras can help police officers and community members by providing valuable video evidence of encounters in which the facts or events are disputed, said Dayton Commissioner Joey Williams.
“It really helps both sides to validate their stories and show what occurs on a scene,” he said.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl said he believes the city will likely purchase and equip patrol officers with the technology, but when that happens will depend on funding.
Initial estimates showed it would cost about $1.4 million over five years to buy the devices and establish a program.
Aside from securing funding, Biehl said the next steps include crafting policies for use of the cameras, as well as video storage, retention and public access.
“This is going to be a very thoughtful — a very methodical — roll out of technology, assuming that we have funding to do so,” he said.
More than 800 people from Dayton zip codes responded to the online survey, which appeared on the city’s website from late April to late July.
About two-thirds of the respondents said they feel safer when a police officer is wearing a video camera.
Two in three respondents also indicated body-worn cameras would increase their trust in the Dayton Police Department.
About 85 percent of respondents said they would accept officers video-recording them as part of their official duties.
More than 90 percent of Dayton survey-takers said body-mounted cameras would allow police supervisors to review officers’ contacts with citizens and more easily resolve complaints.
Additionally, three in four respondents said body-worn cameras could improve the behavior of Dayton police officers and improve the civility of their interactions with citizens.
The same share of respondents said interactions with police are less likely to result in a confrontation if all parties involved know a camera is recording.
Most respondents said buying cameras for officers is worth the cost, even it it requires cuts to other services or equipment.
Few respondents indicated they had personal-privacy concerns, with one notable exception. Fewer than half of the respondents said they would be OK with officers recording in their homes.
The survey was meant to determine how citizens view the technology and how they would like to see it used, said Chief Biehl.
In general, citizens believe body cameras will improve transparency and officers’ interactions with the public while reducing complaints against law enforcement, Biehl said.
“Overall, most citizens are supportive of the use of this technology in almost all encounters with police officers,” he said.
Biehl said cameras will provide video evidence that helps lay out the facts in many cases. But he cautioned that people still can view a video and come to very different conclusions.
Biehl said he believes cameras should have a role in law enforcement, but he does not yet know precisely in what circumstances they are appropriate.
Biehl said the city would need about 200 cameras to equip patrol officers and supervisors on an ongoing basis. The city has applied for a $700,000 federal grant to help purchase the equipment.
Commissioner Williams said the city likely will adopt body-worn cameras, but when that happens depends on funding.
Williams said continuing to improve relations between the community and law enforcement makes obtaining cameras enough of a priority that the city likely will find money for the technology even if grant funding cannot be acquired.
“I think it is pretty much bound to happen in the majority of communities,” he said.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said cameras help change behavior and provide objective accounts of events without bias. She said the police department and community have a good relationship, but maintaining that takes work.
“It’s a good tool to really show the community we are serious about transparency,” she said.
Several departments in the Miami Valley are already using body cameras, including Englewood, Sugarcreek Twp. and Tipp City, as well as several campus police forces.
”
About the Author