EAST POINT, Ga. — Officer Britney Philpots activates her body camera by pressing a button on her wristband that looks similar to a watch.
“The body camera will automatically activate due to you running. If you are down longer than 10-15 seconds it will activate as well,” said Philpots.
Philpots is one of 70 officers on the East Point Police Department equipped with the device since late 2018. The funding is from the Department of Justice.
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“This is really about community policing,” said East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham, “ The community needs to be able to trust our officers.”
Police say having a recorded account of interactions is not just to protect officers, it protects citizens as well.
According to Major Shawn Buchanan, if a citizen wants to look at a video they’re recorded in, they can simply fill out a request.
“You’re not just going by the officer’s word anymore. You can actually see what happened on the traffic stop, or whatever incident that may be,” said Buchanan.
In addition to the body cameras, some officers now have in-car cameras along with laptops. The City plans to purchase at least 25 by this summer.
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