Wyandotte Police Chief Brian Zalewski (right) speaks to the city council May 6 about the purchase of 15 in-car camera systems from Axon Enterprise, the current supplier of the police department’s Body Worn Cameras, as City Attorney William Look (left), Mayor Robert DeSana, City Clerk Lawrence Stec, and City Councilmembers Robert Alderman, Kaylyn Crayne and Chris Calvin listen.
System is compatible with body-worn cams currently in use
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – The City Council approved Police Chief Brian Zalewski’s request to purchase 15 Axon Enterprise Fleet 3 police vehicle camera systems for all marked police vehicles during its June 6 meeting.
Axon currently is the Police Department’s contracted source for its body-worn cameras.
Zalewski said the in-car and body-worn cameras are completely compatible, and meet all of the department’s specifications, needs and requirements.
“With Axon camera compatibility, when either camera system is activated, it will automatically turn on the other system to record audio and video,” he noted in a June 6 memo to the council.
Zalewski said each car will have two cameras: One is mounted to capture video at the front of the vehicle, while the other is interior mounted to capture images inside the vehicle, particularly the back seat passenger.
“The Fleet 3 system, along with our body cameras, will provide multiple views of an incident,” he said. “This will ensure transparency in encounters with the public, record video and audio evidence that can independently verify events and protect officers from false accusations of misconduct.”
Video evidence from car cameras will be stored with the body cam footage in Evidence.com.
Zalewski said the Fleet 3 car camera system has license plate reader technology. It can scan plates and return the registration and owner information to the in-car computer for police officers to review.
“The system will also alert the officer to vehicles that are listed as stolen or wanted in connection with a crime,” he said.
The initial purchase price, $37,440 per year for five years, includes a total assurance plan.
Zaleski said the contract also will replace the in-car camera if a next-generation camera is developed.
He said the police commission approved the purchase at its May 17 meeting.
“The purchase of the Axon Fleet 3 vehicle camera system will support and assist officers in performing their duties, protect against false accusations and to provide video evidence to support criminal investigations and resolution of complaints,” he said.
Zalewski said the agreement includes camera installation and police officer training.