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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Hamilton police seeking donations for cruiser cameras
Hamilton City Manager Mark Brandenburger has sent letters to the Molyneaux Foundation and the James M. Cox Foundation asking for $15,000 from each organization to help pay for video cameras to be installed in Hamilton police cruisers. Money had been set aside for the purchases, but the funds were reallocated because of the city’s recent budget cuts. The additional dollars, if granted, would be added to $80,000 that’s come from seven contributors in the community. The Flashback Digital Video System would wirelessly upload onto the Hamilton Police Department’s server. Brandenburger wrote that the cameras would provide the following benefits to the city: • Protects the community if an officer does something wrong • Protects the officers against false accusations • Provides a tamper-proof chain of evidence, freeing up officers’ time to gather evidence. Cameras have become standard equipment for cruisers in many police jurisdictions. I’ll be asking city leaders why cameras weren’t purchased before the city found itself in a budget crunch.
