Every Pocatello Police officer will soon be wearing a body camera

The following is a news release from the Pocatello Police Department.

Before a Pocatello Police Officer hits the streets, they typically do a mental check of what they’ll need for their shift: vest-check; duty belt-check; keys-check; gear bag-check. Now, they’re adding a body camera to the list.

Last week, officers with the Pocatello Police Department started being outfitted with body cameras after the department invested in 100 Panasonic i-PRO BWC4000 Body-Worn cameras – enough for each officer in the department.

“The cameras benefit the department and the community by recording events in real-time, which helps document what occurred and leads to increased transparency during incidents,” said Chief Roger Schei.

The cameras are compatible with the department’s current dash camera system. Once the body camera is activated, it will also activate the in-car camera providing a second camera to document the interaction.

“Being linked to our current in-car cameras will be a benefit by showing the larger picture of the event through the dash camera and the up-close view through the body camera,” Schei said.

Under the department’s audio/video recorders policy, officers should activate the body camera in the following types of situations:

• All enforcement and investigative contacts including stops and field interview situations
• Traffic stops including traffic violations, motorist assistance, and all crime interdiction stops
• Self-initiated activity where an officer would normally notify dispatch

Any other contact that becomes adversarial after initial contact in a situation that would not otherwise require recording

“The cameras will be used to review use of force and other critical incidents,” said Schei. “We will also be able to use the recordings for training purposes and learn from the different encounters we deal with daily.”

For more information on the Pocatello Police Department, visit pocatello.us/police.