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IMPD signs body camera contract; officers to be outfitted with tech in coming weeks

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than 1,000 Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers who respond to 911 calls will soon be outfitted with body worn cameras, according to the department.

A contract was signed Thursday to begin the installation of cameras on IMPD officer uniforms. The $9.2 million contract with Utility for 5.5 years will equip 1,100 officers with the technology. An investment of $1.2 million in the City-County budget will be given to the program.

The cameras are expected to begin being rolled out in the coming weeks, according to a release from IMPD. The contract includes leasing of the technology, installing the equipment, upgrading the technology after three years, maintaining and supporting any technical issues and cloud-based video storage.

“After a thorough, research-driven process of gathering community feedback and testing available technology, we are now one step closer to the start of a body worn camera program on the IMPD. But this program represents just one of the ways IMPD officers continue working to build community trust. We remain dedicated to serving Indianapolis neighborhoods every day, building stronger relationships with residents that allow us to work together to make our city a safer place for everyone,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor in a release to News 8.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said recent protests “renewed calls to equip our officers with this important technology.”

Aside from the decentralized uploading of footage, the body camera technology will automatically trigger records in the following situations:

  • Being within 500 feet of a dispatched run
  • Drawing the gun from its holster
  • Beginning to run
  • Lying flat for 10 seconds
  • Violently shaking, such as during a fight
  • Activating lights and/or sirens in the car
  • Unlocking the shotgun rack

“The signing of this contract represents a years-long, significant investment in transparency and accountability that will benefit both our IMPD officers and the residents they serve,” said Hogsett in a release to News 8.

Officers on IMPD’s East District will be among the first to receive the new equipment.

The city is also allocating $159,000 in addition to the Utility contract to hire civilians to manage, review and redact the footage collected on the cameras. IMPD Lt. Scott Kulig has been assigned to oversee the program.

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