Aurora police department introduces new technology from KentWired.com on Vimeo.

New body cameras will be attached to every full-time officer in Aurora by this spring.

The cameras, which will double as microphones, will clip to the chests of the officers.

Brian Byard, Aurora’s Chief of Police, said this is just another safety precaution.

“Well I think in today’s society, it’s just another tool to protect the officer,” Byard said. “It provides great evidence. It gives the courts a perspective of what the officer sees at the time.”

Byard said no specific incident with Aurora’s police sparked purchasing these cameras though other areas in Ohio have had shootings.

“You know neighboring communities have had shootings, multiple shootings, where officers had to protect themselves,” he said. “It’s just one more piece of equipment that we can use to show what exactly took place at that particular time, and what the officer saw.”

Aurora Police Department is not the only northeastern Ohio police to get body cameras.

Cleveland Police Department announced Wednesday it will begin using body cameras next week.

Byard said he does not believe this will be a continuing trend across the country though.

“I don’t know if they’ll be everywhere,” Byard said. “You’re always going to have people second guessing every decision the police makes, but those people that are speaking in the public, giving their opinions,  no matter what you say, you’re not going to appease them/”

Aurora Police Department has yet to develop guidelines on using the body cameras.

Byard said the department is purchasing 30 cameras from L3 Mobile-Vision. These are the same cameras South Euclid Police Department uses.

Byard said in total, the cameras will cost around $12,000. Currently, the department has $5000 set aside for the cameras and will look to City Council to fund the remaining money. 

Contact Tyler Trill at [email protected]