Website, WLWT dot com. Tonight, WLWT will be looking at technology that many police departments are using to improve transparency and accountability. But many police departments in Hamilton County still don't use body cameras. And of course, it's a question of money. Tonight, Lindsey Stone from WLWT News Five will be here with us live to talk about the challenges for small police departments. And what they want to do about it. Hi, Lindsey. Hi, both of you. Actually, these police departments say the challenges are twofold: cost and editing. This equipment costs about $10,000 a year. Plus, they have to hire someone to vet and edit all the video. It's very hard for small police departments to afford this expense. And it's also hard to maintain this important equipment. Get your knees up to your chest. Body-worn cameras are a useful tool for both law enforcement and the public. It's not as straight forward as some people think, but the transparency is what we love about it. The accountability part. But small police departments often can't afford these. Hamilton County Attorney Melissa Powers said nine police departments in the county don't have the technology. Even if they had the funds, they wouldn't be able to. Greenhills is one of the departments without body cameras. Police Chief Jim Howard said he received a quote of $48,000 for the cameras, storage and editing equipment. That's a lot for his small department, so many departments will rely on state grants. The problem isn't just the cameras, it's the accessories. It's the equipment that comes with them. The problem is getting people off the street. The problem is the cost of storage. Newtown Police Department recently won a grant of about $30,000 that covers about half the cost of the body cameras. That meant the village had to cover the other half, but the village allowed us to pay it over five years. That cuts our out-of-pocket costs significantly all at once and makes it affordable for us. But the problem is it's five years. Police Chief Tom Sinan said if the state considers body cameras a priority, they need more support, and hopefully lawmakers will provide a five-, 10-, 15-year plan. How do we make sure these departments maintain these? Sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a real decision. Should I buy cars or should I buy cameras? Should I buy equipment? Should I increase staffing or should I buy cameras? And sometimes you can't afford both or you have to delay something. Earlier this year, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine awarded $5 million in grants to police departments to install body cameras. But some say that's still not enough. I actually spoke with Elmwood Place Police Chief Randy Newsom. He says he's been applying for grants for months, years, and they've all been rejected. So he and other local police departments are hoping the state will continue this funding and expand it in the future.
Some Hamilton County police departments lack technology and body cameras.
Updated: August 27, 2024 at 11:14 PM EDT
WLWT looked into the technology that many police departments are using to improve transparency and accountability. But many police departments in Hamilton County still don't use body cameras, and the problem is money. “It's not as straight-forward as some people think,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said. “But what we're focused on is the transparency and accountability part.” But smaller police departments often can't afford them. Nine police departments in Hamilton County are not equipped with body cameras. The list includes Elmwood, Green Hills, Harrison, Indian Hill, Rockland, Mariemont, Montgomery, Terrance Park and Mount St. Joseph. “Even if they had the funds, they just can't do it,” Powers said. Green Hills is one of the police departments without body cameras. Police Chief Jim Howard said he was quoted $48,000 for cameras, storage and editing equipment. That's a steep cost for his small department, leading many departments to rely on state grants. “It's not just the camera accessories that are an issue, it's the equipment that comes with it, keeping people off the street, the cost of storage,” said Newtown Police Chief Tom Sinan. The Newtown Police Department was recently awarded a grant of about $30,000, which covered about half the cost of the body cameras. “That meant the village had to cover the other half,” Sinan said. “But the government allowed us to pay it over five years, so it reduced our out-of-pocket costs a lot at one time and made it more affordable for us. But the problem is it only lasts five years.” Sinan says if the state considers body cameras a priority, it needs to provide more support. “Hopefully, legislators will come up with a five-, 10-, 15-year plan and say, how do we make sure these departments can maintain these,” Sinan said. “Because sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a practical decision: Should I buy a car, should I buy a camera? Should I buy equipment, should I buy more staffing, or should I not buy a camera? And sometimes you can't afford both or you have to put something off.”
Hamilton County, Ohio —
WLWT looked into the technology many police departments are using to improve transparency and accountability, but many Hamilton County police departments still don't use body cameras — and the problem is money.
“This isn't as straight forward as some people think,” Hamilton County Attorney Melissa Powers said, “but what we like about it is the transparency and accountability part.”
But smaller police departments often can't afford BWCs: Nine police departments in Hamilton County are not equipped with BWCs. The list includes Elmwood, Green Hills, Harrison, Indian Hill, Rockland, Mariemont, Montgomery, Terrance Park and Mount St. Joseph.
“Even with the funding, it's just not possible for them,” Powers said.
Green Hills Police Department is one of the departments without body cameras. Police Chief Jim Howard said he was quoted $48,000 for the cameras, storage and editing equipment — a steep price tag for his small department, leaving many to rely on state grants.
“It's not just the camera attachments that are an issue, it's the equipment that comes with it, keeping people off the streets and the storage costs,” Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan said.
The Newtown Police Department was recently awarded a grant of about $30,000, which will cover about half of the cost of the body cameras.
“That meant the other half had to be paid by the village,” Sinan says, “but they allowed us to pay it over five years, so all at once our out-of-pocket costs went down significantly and became more affordable for us. But the problem is that it only lasts for five years.”
Synan said if the state considers body cameras a priority, it needs to provide more support.
“Hopefully, legislators will have a five-, 10-, 15-year plan of how to ensure these departments maintain these things,” Sinan said. “Because sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a practical decision: Do you buy vehicles or do you buy cameras? Do you buy equipment or personnel or don't buy cameras? And sometimes you can't afford both or you have to delay something.”
