RCPD Officers to Be Trained in Body-Worn and In-Car Camera Technology and Policy
Rockville City Police Department officers will begin using body-worn cameras as early as late May after the Mayor and Council approved a contract for the purchase of the body cameras and complementary in-car dashboard cameras.
The cameras continue the department’s commitment to transparency and offer a new level of accountability for officers and the public. They produce a video record of incidents and have proven to be a valuable accountability tool for law enforcement, providing support for officer testimony during criminal trials and evidence for investigating claims of officer misconduct.
RCPD has worked with the City Attorney’s Office to ensure a policy is in place that addresses privacy and other civil liberties issues.
“We have worked tirelessly with the city’s procurement and legal divisions and the information technology departments to ensure we were able to obtain the best price for our equipment, that we have sound policies and procedures in place, and that we had a data storage solution for the video files before we spent a penny,” acting police chief Bob Rappoport said.
Learn more in the March 6 Mayor and Council agenda at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter.
The 59 body-worn cameras – one for each RCPD officer – are an extension of the department’s use of the dashboard cameras, which have been used in RCPD cruisers for over two decades. The contract approved by the Mayor and Council includes the installation of new in-car systems, which will be synchronized with the body-worn cameras. All officers will be trained in the operation of both systems, as well as in the policy governing their use, before the cameras are deployed.
RCPD’s adoption of the cameras is in line with a trend by national and local law enforcement agencies, including Montgomery County Police and the Maryland-National Capital Park Police. The department has monitored the implementation of body-worn camera policies nationally and by local partner agencies.
More information about the initiative will be provided through meetings with homeowners and civic associations and through Rockville 11, on channel 11 on county cable systems and at www.rockvillemd.gov/yoututbe.
Learn more about the RCPD at www.rockvillemd.gov/police.