Baxter Police Add Body Cameras To All Officers

The Baxter Police Department is able to outfit all six of its road officers with body cameras because of a grant through Twin Lakes.

Chief Danny Holmes said body cameras are something he has wanted to add to the department for some time, and the $2,500 grant made it possible. Holmes said having video and audio during encounters is a benefit to the public and police.

“We want to be a police department that treats everyone fairly and we’re going to do that,” Holmes said. “If I feel like an officer is in the wrong when I look at the body cam images, then they’re gonna be disciplined accordingly.”

Holmes said having video and audio evidence helps get to the bottom of accusations during police interaction. He said officers will be required to turn their body camera on anytime they make a traffic stop or respond to a scene.

“Now, when someone comes in and says, ‘this officer said so-and-so, or this officer did this,’ what we’re gonna do is say let’s just go look at the body cam,” Holmes said. “See exactly what happened that night, and a lot of times they don’t want to make anymore statements against the officer.”

Holmes said the total cost on the body cameras came to $3,300 but were able to make up the difference through surplus vehicle sales. Holmes said the cameras came at no cost to tax payers.