ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) — The Anderson Police Department has installed new dash cameras in 35 of its police cruisers. The project was funded by a $299,604.00 grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
“It’s good for us because it protects us as officers, but it also protects the public,” Lt. Cornelius Pickens said.
Each car will be equipped with the ProLogic Getac DVR, which includes three cameras per car.
“The front-facing camera has two cameras on it — one camera at the base of it,” Pickens explained. “It turns 360 degrees. There’s a camera in the rear partition of the vehicle where we transport our prisoners.”
The cameras automatically turn on when an officer turns on their blue lights and will record until an officer turns the cameras off. The footage is then saved in a Cloud drive.
The cameras are accompanied with a microphone that can be clipped to an officer’s vest or belt.
“The officers that are in that vehicle have access to immediately view and watch their video as well as audio,” Pickens said.
The Getac system is an upgrade from the department’s previous cameras which recorded onto DVDs.
Pickens said the footage will be crucial in helping the solicitor’s office prosecute crimes, including DUI cases.
“We’re trying to capture the driver’s movements if we’re behind them, so we want that recording of them driving,” he explained. “Once we get out and start field sobriety testing, we want to be able to capture their full body in camera view.”
