The New Year is expected to also bring the implementation of body cameras at the Midland Police Department.
Midland City Council approved the purchase of 133 body cameras and related storage from Axon for the Midland Police Department on Tuesday at its regularly scheduled meeting. Axon was chosen from 34 different vendors who were sent proposals after conducting studies among officers and evaluating the systems based on qualities such as ease of use, software, integration and cost.
The process to obtain body cameras began in March, when MPD applied for a grant from the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division for the cameras. The grant of $168,749.68 will cover the first year of costs, followed by $120,604.43 per year out of MPD’s budget for the duration of the five-year contract with Axon.
The body cameras are expected to serve as tools for Midland’s police to enhance officer interactions with the public, build community trust, and gather important evidence for use in the prosecution of crimes. All uniformed officers will have a camera individually assigned to them, and the new system is will be implemented over the next four to six weeks.
###
Media Contact: Police Chief Price Robinson