THOMASVILLE — Law enforcement officers agree: Body-worn cameras serve the community and law enforcement in several ways.

In 2017, Thomasville Police received 25 new body-worn cameras and new portable radios at no cost as part of an upgrade in the Motorola radio system project.

TPD body-worn cameras and in-car cameras are activated at the time a call is dispatched. The cameras are kept on for the entire duration and shut off after the investigation is concluded and/or officers leave the scene.

TPD policy calls for body-worn cameras and in-car cameras to be activated at:

• Traffic stops of any kind, with particular attention to DUI stops

• Arrests

• Pursuits

• Domestic or family violence calls

• Police/individual encounters

• Investigating suspicious activity/field interview report

• Incidents and/or situations in which the officer feels a recording would be of evidentiary value.

• Incidents and/or situations another officer of this or any law enforcement agency requests to be recorded.

• Any time a prisoner or suspect is placed in the car. The camera will be turned to face the suspect, and an in-car microphone will be activated.

• Any time a suspect or any other person with whom the officer is engaged becomes argumentative or hostile.

If a TPD officer does not use a camera when he or she should, a progressive discipline policy is followed, according to Chief Troy Rich.

“We take steps to ensure the officer understands the importance of activating their body-worn camera,” he said. “If an officer fails to activate their body-worn camera, we will initiate remedial training, verbal counseling or a written warning, depending the circumstances.

“The purpose of the policy in activating all cameras at the time of the call will prevent the officer from failing to not activate the call if their stress level rises and focus is lost on the activation of their cameras,” the chief added. “There are times when an officer may not activate their cameras because of a rapidly-evolved situation, and those events are handled on a case-by-case basis.”

TPD follows the Georgia law retention schedule for all video camera recordings: The video storage is set on a retention schedule outlined in Georgia law — 180 days for general video recorded and 30 months for all arrests, use of force, traffic crash investigations and other significant events.

TPD officers are allowed to watch body camera video before making statements if their actions are under investigation.

“Officers are involved in situations that are rapidly evolving and require split-second decisions based on the totality of the situation that are evolving in front of them,” Rich said.

“Officers should have the benefit of being able to review video to get all of the facts so they are accurate in the report writing and statements.”

The video will always be the evidence that is analyzed about how the events transpired. The officers are not judged on hindsight 20/20, but rather on how the events are unfolding in the totality of the circumstances they faced at the time of the event, Rich said.

Trust and Legitimacy are the first pillar of the “21st Century Policing Model,” he added.

“Within this model, procedural justice is another key element that includes transparency. Thomasville Police Department is 100 percent transparent,” Rich said. “We tell our officers we have nothing to hide. Body-worn cameras will exonerate officers from false allegations. Video is now expected from our community because there is a lack of trust within our profession from past history.”

Rich said being fully transparent will build foundations of trust within the community. 

“If we start out right and end up wrong, at least we started out right. If we start out wrong, we cannot get right. The video camera will capture the event,” he said.

Sgt. 1st Class John VanLandingham, Thomasville Post 12 Georgia State Patrol commander, said troopers do not wear body cameras, but GSP cars are equipped with inside dashboard cameras that film back seat passengers and activity in the vehicle.

A dashboard digital camera costs about $4,600. GSP provides the equipment to about 700 troopers statewide.

VanLandingham said camera content is downloaded to a video library at the Thomasville post.

“They’re normally triggered when blue lights come on or when a trooper car wrecks,” VanLandingham said.

The Thomas County Sheriff’s office pays $300 to $500 for each body camera

“Policy basically says any citizen encounter, cameras are turned on,” said Capt. Steven Jones, sheriff’s office public information officer.

Policy dictates internal discipline for not using the cameras, Jones said, adding that state law requires all videos to be retained 180 days. 

“However, traffic crashes, arrests, investigations or anything that can be litigated must be retained for 30 months,” Jones said.

Officers are encouraged to view camera recordings before writing a report, the officer said.

Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Crosby said body-worn cameras protect an officer if an unfounded complaint is made against him or her. What the camera recorded of the situation is readily available, Crosby said.

“A lot of what is going on in law enforcement now, when they actually see a video, it shows what happened and not someone’s point of view,” the deputy said.

Crosby’s body-worn camera also has a radio and microphone.

“It’s part of 21st century policing,” said Thomasville Police Department patrol officer Sgt. Christopher Kitlas. “You can’t hide anything from the camera.”

Without video, Kitlas said, if an officer is accused of something, there is no way to see it “for what it is.”

“With video, it’s all there,” he said.