Atlantic Beach, Fla. — Beginning Thursday, May 20, the Atlantic Beach Police Department said they will begin phasing in the use of body-worn cameras for police and animal control officers.
The rollout will be quick. In an official statement, ABPD say they anticipate everyone will be equipped with the cameras by June 1.
“The use of body worn, video camera technology will be a valuable tool to document events, actions, conditions and statements, made during police and citizen encounters, arrests and critical incidents,” the department said.
ABPD said recorded footage will also be used as a training tool, offering the opportunity to debrief officers after incidents.
“Although cameras can’t capture everything the officer sees, video is beneficial for courtroom proceedings and will help provide a more complete picture of what happened during an incident. The use of body worn cameras increases transparency and also provides the ability to capture the good work that our officers do on a daily basis.”
Cox Media Group