Gary police launch body camera program

One of the Region’s largest police departments has officially launched their use of body cameras, joining other agencies in the area who have adopted the measure improve transparency and accountability between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

A group of the Gary Police Department’s officers were trained Friday on the policies and operations of the body cameras and were able to immediately get to work wearing the devices. All officers who work on patrol shifts will be required to wear the cameras when interacting with the public. Officers began wearing the cameras in the field on July 19, and the department has slowly been outfitting officers with them since.

“We’ve trained 70 officers thus far, and have one more class today,” Gary police Sgt. Sarita Titus said. “This program is considered launched.”

The cameras were purchased with a $500,000 federal grant to enhance the technology in the department, secured last last year by United States Rep. Frank J. Mrvan. The department was also awarded $88,000 from the Local Body Camera Grant in April 2022 through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

“Body cameras are a community engagement piece,” Sarita Titus said. “I think it will increase trust that we’re trying to gain in the community, increase transparency.”

The grant allowed Gary police to purchase 110 cameras. In March, Gary police received their first shipment of cameras, and a team of six Gary police officers were appointed to a committee to learn how to use the technology and train the officers. Although it has been a long time coming, Anthony Titus said it’s all worth it.

“I think they [body cameras] are absolutely necessary. This is a technology age we live in,” he said. “Sometimes an accusation is made against an officer and that incident didn’t happen the way its portrayed, or on the flip side, if an accusation is made and body camera footage is viewed and you see an officer acted out.”

It’s a win-win situation for the officer and the citizens they serve, he said.

“If you’re doing your job the way you’re supposed to be, the body cameras will show you doing your job professionally,” Anthony Titus said. “And we’ll be able to build that transparent relationship with the public.”

The Motorola WatchGuard V300 body-worn cameras are mounted on the officer’s uniform through a magnetic mount or external clip designed to grip onto their vest. Officers will put on their cameras at the beginning of their shifts and are responsible for pressing a button to activate the camera at the beginning of a call. This includes investigatory situations, traffic stops, pursuits, taking statements, transporting people who have been arrested and other instances when officers are enforcing the law. It will also activate if an officer draws their weapon. The cameras are removed at the end of the shift and placed on a charging station where the footage is uploaded to storage.

“The operation of the cameras is pretty straightforward,” Sarita Titus said. “But will take a minute a minute for the officers to get into the habit of pushing the button.”

The cameras have a covert mode with no sound or display lights and a momentary mute button in case officers are speaking with a supervisor or discussing sensitive information. However, officers must announce they are muting their camera and cannot do it for an extended period of time.

After the officer completes the call, they press a button to stop the recording and tag the evidence into one of seven categories based on the type of incident they responded to.

The footage will be archived for approximately 190 days per statewide policy, Sarita Titus said. If it is requested for a court case or a complaint is filed against an officer before the 190 days are complete, that time is extended to two years. Footage can be available to the public by request through the Access to Public Records Act.

Once every patrol officer is outfitted, the command staff will look at other divisions in the department that would benefit from the cameras, Anthony Titus said. Approximately 80 officers are in the patrol division. By Saturday morning, there will be 75 officers trained and equipped with cameras. There will be a makeup training to ensure all 80 patrol officers are covered.