A Connecticut police department plans to purchase 10 new body cameras that can record officers' interactions with individuals they question or arrest.
Traffic officers in Branford have been equipped with a few of the cameras for a year and believe they've helped prevent unsubstantiated civilian complaints.
"People can make any kind of accusation they want, but now it's recorded," said Officer Rick Kenney. "In the past, they have accused me of being rude. Well, now it's all on tape."
The cameras provide clear video evidence of who said what during the officer/civilian exchanges. An officer can turn the camera on before he or she approaches someone and turn it off after they return to their car.
Recordings are kept for about 30 days unless they are part of an active investigation, authorities said.
The cameras can record up to four hours of video and are operated by rechargeable battery. They cost about $900 each.
"All of this equipment has been purchased with monies taken off the street from drug dealers," said Captain Geoffrey Morgan. "So we're not really using our taxpayer money to do it either."
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