Key West Police Body Cams Go Live Monday
The Key West Police Department has established the policy, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay has provided the hardware, and our officers have been trained. Now it’s time to begin using body-worn cameras.
Beginning next week all Key West Police officers will be equipped with small cameras worn on the front of their uniforms. The cameras clip on and are easily switched on to record incidents and encounters.
For more than two years, the department has been exploring this additional public safety tool. At first, the video quality was just not worth the investment of time and money. Technology has improved, however, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office bought cameras for every officer in the Key West Police Department. The cameras are the same make as the in-car cameras already used by the KWPD, which means that uploading and data storage is streamlined.
“I expect these cameras will bring better accountability on both sides of the lens,” said Chief Lee. “But we have to remember that this is a tool. There won’t always be video of every encounter. These cameras are another tool in our toolbox that, used together, will help us provide the best service we can to the community.”
He points out that the cameras are not infallible. In writing and approving the policy for use of the body-worn cameras, the department tried to address as many issues as can be foretold with a new tool. There are issues of privacy for the people in front of the camera. The cameras could come loose during a scuffle or not capture the brunt of an incident. But ideally, they provide another way for police to capture the facts when an incident is unfolding in front of them.
“The Key West Police Department is committed to the use of body worn cameras to protect the rights of police officers and citizens while balancing privacy interest,” reads the opening of the new policy. “The Department recognizes that video images cannot always show the full story nor do the video images capture the entire scene.”
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All the police here in West Palm Beach have body cams now, too, and I hope they and Key West will leave them turned on with every encounter to protect not only the citizens but the officers, themselves. Maybe they won’t capture every encounter as a whole, but they’ll be better than no close-up record of each encounter between the officers and whomever they’re engaging with.