Cameras to be installed in Sylvania Twp. police cars
10/21/2013Sylvania Township police patrol cars soon will contain video cameras to capture activity inside and outside the vehicle.
The board OK’d $68,000 Tuesday toward the purchase of video equipment. About 15 cameras for patrol cars will be positioned toward the vehicle’s rear to cover the back seat; the cameras also will record activity in the front of the car, Chief Robert Boehme said.
Once the cameras arrive, the cars will need to be outfitted. The cameras should be installed in a couple of months, Chief Boehme said. Previously, only a couple patrol cars used outdated VHS and DVD systems for recording.
David Simko, township fiscal officer, said the recording of arrests and incidents should cut litigation costs should someone falsely accuse police of wrongdoing. Video evidence protects suspects and police when everyone knows all conduct is being recorded, he said.