Hancock County Sheriff’s deputies trained on new cruiser and body camera gear

HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. ( WTRF ) – The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department is gearing up with new cruiser and body cameras and just received training from Motorola Application Specialist, Scott Mattson, to learn how to use them.

7News Reporter Annalise Murphy went to an exclusive training session to learn more behind the scenes details.

These new cameras will make deputies’ jobs much easier thanks to the enhanced video quality, speed, and storage while increasing safety, transparency and accountability.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has been working with their previous cruiser and body camera gear since 2016.

“These new cameras also have some better functionality compared to the old ones. Obviously, with technology being eight years old, we were starting to have issues with battery life and just equipment was starting to break down.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

To help combat battery life issues, there is now a dock in each cruiser that can charge the body cameras.

Lieutenant Chad Lamp supervises the departments technology equipment and has been working very closely with Lauttamus Communication and Motorola Solutions to get these upgrades completed.

Some of the other key features in these cameras include high definition 1080p video, GPS functionality, and synchronization between the body camera and the cruiser camera.

“If I activate my in-car camera based on a traffic stop or activating my lights, it will automatically activate my body camera. If I am outside of the car dealing with a situation and I activate my body camera, it will remotely activate my in-car camera as well.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

The new cruiser camera also allows deputies to see into their backseat without having to turn around and can record the entire interaction between the officer and the individual, creating a safer environment for both parties.

Lt. Lamp says having updated cruiser and body camera equipment is vital, especially in the society we live in today where everything is recorded and if it is not “it didn’t happen.”

“Video evidence is really hard to refute. I think a lot of officers have learned now the importance of having video because it’s essentially irrefutable evidence at all times.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

Other features include the ability to view cruiser cam footage in the field without having to stop the recording and a downloadable app that controls the body cams.

“There is an app that will download to our department provided phones that not only allow us to control certain features on the body camera, but I can go back and review video on the body camera.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

Previously, all cruiser and body camera videos were manually uploaded using a server within the courthouse, which did not make it easy to share or make copies.

The new Cloud based storage makes sharing footage with other offices and agencies more efficient.

“This new software, this new camera system all being run through the Cloud, will allow us to share videos through the Cloud. So, there will be no more burning of DVDs and duplication of DVDs. It’ll simply be an email to share that they now have access to.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

The new software also allows for simultaneous viewing of all footage. Lt. Lamp says, “[Cruiser and Body Cam] videos will tie together once they are uploaded into our software. So, as I’m watching one video, I can actually pull both videos up on the screen side by side, and I can see the view simultaneously from in my car and my body camera.”

Lt. Lamp says the software also creates better case management, especially if there is more than one deputy who responds.

He will be able to type in each situation’s unique incident number and organize footage from multiple cruisers and body cameras.

Hancock County Sheriff Scott Gittings tells 7News this $340,000 total replacement of their cruiser and body cameras was possible thanks to Shelly Moore Capito’s office who secured some federal spending money for the department.

“They are more practical and user friendly. They do not have infrared capabilities, and our deputies cannot change or edit anything on the videos, but they can automatically download them. We do not have to worry about storage because everything is Cloud based. This also makes obtaining copies of the videos much easier.”

Sheriff Scott Gittings | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

In total, the department has 25 sets of new cruiser and body camera gear, which is not enough for the entire department.

Lt. Lamp says the upgrade covers the patrol division and all their school resource officers.

“We’re actually going to make use of the existing cameras and give those to the guys who don’t have cameras available. So, our detectives are going to be issued the older body cameras because they are still functional.”

Lt. Chad Lamp | Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

The department says they plan to provide some of the older body cameras to courthouse security staff which includes front door security and bailiffs.

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