EVERETT, Wash. — The Everett Police Department will launch a pilot program of body cameras on officers. The department set aside funding for 50 cameras to start.
Everett Police Chief John DeRousse said he's seen a shift in how officers view body cameras. Many of them now want to wear them.
"Most police officers think about the idea of going out there without a body camera and they think, ‘Boy it would be nice to record what I'm involved in,’” said DeRousse.
While they have funding for 50, DeRousse said the pilot program will likely only include 10 officers.
“If we had a body camera program, we'd be one of two agencies in this county,” said DeRousse.
The goal is to eventually have the entire 206-person department wearing a camera. Before that happens, DeRousse said there’s a lot to discuss.
"The first thing is you have to have a policy that governs how that camera will be used, when it will be turned on and when it won’t be used,” said DeRousse, “It’s important for the officers to understand the reason behind having a body camera program.”
DeRousse estimates the cameras will the cost $1,000 and added there will be additional staff costs for things like archiving video. The department is looking at grant funding and believe cameras might help cut future expenses.
“I think stats show that body-worn cameras can reduce liabilities for an agency because scenes get captured that may turn into lawsuits later,” said DeRousse