COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Police are getting new body cameras and Monday night, the community got to see how they work.
At the Trinity Baptist Church after the NAACP meeting, some of the public got the chance to get a first-hand look at the cameras.
The nearly $19 million investment was announced by City Council in March. Changes are being made to better hold police accountable for their actions following the shooting death of Andre Hill in December of 2020. The officer's camera only had a one-minute look back and no audio.
After the NAACP meeting, a mother, LaQuisa Richardson, was in the crowd.
"I feel like my son could be at risk, and that's why these types of meetings are so important,” she said.
Richardson said she needed to see for herself what the city is doing to protect its citizens.
After holding one of the cameras herself she said, “I think that it's building trust because there was a lack of trust."
Deputy Chief Tom Quinlan said the department will receive 2,105 body-worn cameras. That's one for every officer. Along with body-worn cameras, they will get 450 in-car cameras as well.
The cameras will also be equipped with a pre-event recording that will allow up to two minutes of audio and video feedback.
"The whole point of this is to reduce the possibility of missed opportunities to capture video and in many cases the audio,” Quinlan said.
For Richardson, she thinks more community engagement is what will build a better relationship between the community and law enforcement.
"It does, it shows that they're here. They want to listen. And the community showed up because we want to foster these conversations as well,” Richardson said.
In a statement to 10TV in March, the Fraternal Order of Police said in part, “Body-worn camera footage is also a critical asset to providing crucial evidence to substantiate criminal charges on those citizens who chose not to follow the law,” adding that the FOP believes the only way to deter crime is through adequate “consequences" for offenders.