All Columbia Police Officers are now equipped with body cameras. The City of Columbia received a 2024 Liability Grant from the Kentucky League of Cities. The grant was for items that improved safety and reduced liability. Columbia Police purchased four new Axon Body 4 cameras which will be utilized by patrol units. The department currently has 16 Axon Body 2 and 4 Axon Body 4.
While both series of the Axon cameras have excellent audio and video capabilities as well as long battery lives, the Axon 4 have enhanced features such as wider view, GPS, and the ability to share in real time the video with supervisors. Axon 4 cameras have a docking station that charges and uploads everything straight to a server. The Axon 2 cameras must be manually uploaded via USB cord. Once the camera is activated, no one can alter or delete the videos in any way.
All videos from the cameras are shared directly from the server to the county attorney and commonwealth’s attorney’s office. They are not only a safety feature for the officers, but they are also a tool for the prosecution and defense. As Chief Burton said the cameras don’t lie.
Officer Cravens said that the cameras benefit the police. On both sides, prosecution and defense, it’s hard to dispute what occurred when it’s in audio and video. When people realize the interaction is being recorded, they tend to change their behavior.
“They are the best asset we have,” said Burton.
The cameras record at a wide angle and when reviewing the footage officers may see things that they didn’t originally see in the moment. This also benefits other responding agencies that need to know what occurred before those agencies arrived on scene.
Officer Bell, who previously worked in Wayne County, has been using the Axon 2 body camera since 2014. He stated his court appearances substantially decreased after the implementation of the body cameras and keeps the officers available for calls. The cameras are a tool he wouldn’t want to work without.
By Amy Pike
newsroom2@adairvoice.com
