VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - New body cameras for the Valdosta Police Department are doing more than recording: they are putting police back in the community.
Community members will be able to rest a little bit easier now that the Valdosta Police Department has officially began using their new and improved body cameras.
The cams will decrease an estimated hour of download time to 10 minutes and will allow officers to sort and label video's in the field.
These are the same cameras that city council members voted on back in July. 116 Motorola Si 500 cams, costing $450,000 over a term of five years. VPD says the body cams are expected to cut out overtime and to simply record the facts without hassle.
The body cameras are activated with the click of a button. Push the button forward and "Voila", it turns the camera on and records.
Officer Manning says that community members should have a peace of mind knowing that patrol officers are wearing these cameras.
"We hold all officers at a higher standard and accountable for their actions and therefore the officer is accountable to explain why the body camera was not activated during its course of contact with the general public," said Officer Manning.
