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Topsham approves body, cruiser cameras for police

Topsham Police Chief Marc Hagan said the cameras will reduce citizen complaints and use of force incidences, among other benefits.

TOPSHAM, Maine — The above video aired on NEWS CENTER Maine on June 10, 2021.

Topsham police officers will soon wear body cameras and drive cruisers with cameras installed on the dash following a unanimous vote by the town's board of selectmen.

"Camera systems in law enforcement are no longer a luxury, they're an expectation of the public," Topsham Police Chief Marc Hagan told NEWS CENTER Maine.

Hagan said the cameras would reduce citizen complaints and police use of force incidences "because of the simple fact that people, whether police officers or citizens, are all a little more polite when they know they're on audio or video."

Hagan said the cameras would also enhance police and community relations through transparency, provide increased training and supervision, provide unbiased video evidence and reduce the town's civil liability.

Initially, Hagan budgeted $60,000 for just an in-car camera system, planning to add body cameras later. However, one company -- BodyWorn by Utility -- offered a five-year lease that will allow cameras in all eight of the town's marked cruisers, as well as body cameras for the 13 law enforcement officers.

The cameras are used by police in Lewiston and Auburn, Hagan said.

The first-year cost is $62,500, with a cost of $20,831 each of the next four years, Hagan said.

He said the department has not yet established policies regarding the use of the cameras, but said, "The intent right now will be to review [footage] occasionally, and if we have a complaint, it will be there for us."

Hagan said he expects to have cameras in the cruisers within a few months, and then in officers' uniforms.

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