The Town of Duck Hill has purchased its first body cam for its police department.
During its monthly board meeting Monday night, the Duck Hill Board of Aldermen approved a purchase in the amount of $400 for its first body cam.
City Clerk LaSonja Sizemore said the board will look into purchasing more body cams when the new fiscal year begins October 1 and could approve a purchase to outfit the entire force with cameras.
Duck Hill Chief of Police Tyler Winter said before the board agrees to purchase cameras for all of his men, the department wanted to try it out.
“We want to see how it works,” he said. “See where we can improve and eliminate complaints.”
Winter said on average the department answers about 30 to 40 a month in Duck Hill. He said several of his part-time men work for other forces and use body cameras in their full-time job so the men will be adjusted when the board decides to outfit the entire crew.
With the recent shift in climate when it comes to public interaction with officers, more departments are using body cameras to make sure their men and women are handling calls in the proper manner. For those who have been in law enforcements for many years, it can be an adjustment.
Winter said for him, it’s not.
“I have my own and I use it, so it doesn’t [require an adjustment] for me,” he said. “But, the town has never bought any cameras so it’ll be the first time in use here.”
