BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"We used to get 10 to 12 hours of life out of a body camera, now we're getting one to two hours," Chief Scott Holt of Lorena Police Department said.
Lorena Police say their body cameras need to be replaced.
They say their current equipment has issues like broken displays and worn-out batteries.
"And when the display doesn't work, you often don't know if it's on or off," Holt said.
Chief Holt tells me his officers are supposed to record every law enforcement interaction.
With the faulty equipment, some officers have been wearing two cameras—leaving some without any.
"But it serves, peace of mind for everyone involved, to know everything's recorded, everything is documented," Holt said.
I spoke with Dr. Kerry Burkley of the Advocacy Center about the role body cam footage has when dealing directly with victims.
"When you deal with trauma, it's kind of hard to remember all of the details, but immediately after something happens, that bodycam footage can help," Burkley said.
Police say the body cameras can provide another perspective to in-car cameras—highlighting body language and facial expressions.
"Victims of crime often say things as they're experiencing the trauma, that they may not remember later," Holt said.
"What the measure puts in place, is ensures that it corroborates all the information that a victim survivor may have, and that recording gives an accurate account of details that sometimes are elusive," Burkley said.
Lorena Police asked city council to fund the replacement. Chief Holt says they are staying with the same company because their in-car cameras are integrated with that system. They do not have the funds to replace both body and in-car cameras.
"It shows that law enforcement is accountable,” Burkley said. “Accountable for how they interact with clients, victims, and the community and it's accountable on their part that officers are following proper procedure and protocol,"
