GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – As soon as next month, Green Bay’s city council could be voting on the purchase of body cameras.
Chief Andrew Smith tells FOX 11 Axon is the department’s preferred vendor.
“They have the storage. They have the redaction software. They have the in-car video. They have the body-mounted video, so they really have a comprehensive program.”
The cost is still being finalized, but Smith previously told FOX 11 it could cost a few million dollars.
The department reviewed four other vendors and even looked at building its own system.
“That would probably be cheaper, but I don’t think in the long run it’s going to be the most effective way of doing it,” said Smith.
The Green Bay Packers have committed to helping with the initial investment for Green Bay, along with cameras for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Ashwaubenon Public Safety.
The hope is all agencies get approval for Axon, which the De Pere Police Department already uses.
“We’ll all be able to send our information to the district attorney,” said Smith. “We’ll be able to share files. We’ll be able to all be on the same system. There’s a lot of advantages as far as our investigations are concerned.”
City council members say choosing the right vendor is vital.
“My main concern is we’re trying to maintain or earn the community’s trust and they have the trust that it’s not going to be like oops, somehow the camera turned off,” said Alderperson Bill Galvin during Tuesday evening’s Finance Committee meeting.
“It would essentially have to be a motivated move to be able to turn that thing off,” said Captain Ben Allen of the Green Bay Police Department.
Council members and police leaders say policies deterring that type of behavior are equally important.
The hope is to have the cameras in use as early as February.
Green Bay Police hopes to use Axon to also replace its in-car cameras and Tasers. Chief Smith says the current equipment needs to be replaced anyway.
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