YourNNY Your Source for News & Sports in Northern New York

Vermont State Police begin using trooper body cameras

MADE THE FIRE TOUGH TO PUT OUT. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, ALL VERMONT STATE POLICE TROOPERS WILL BE WEARING BODY CAMERAS… THE MOVE COMES AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THEM. NBC5’S LAUREN GRANADA JOINS LIVE US FROM THE WILLISTON BARRACKS WHERE TROOPERS WILL BE RECEIVE THEM. – (áááLIVEááá) THE VERMONT STATE POLICE HAS BEEN TRYING TO PUT CAMERAS ON ITS TROOPERS FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. TODAY THEY ANNOUNCED THAT IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING. BY DECEMBER. ALL VSP TROOPERS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THEM. (áááPKGááá) 00;29;33;26– 00;29;38;21 <TPR. GIANCARLO DIGENOVA, VSP WILLISTON BARRACKS :04 “ANY TIME WE ACTIVATE OUR LIGHTS OR ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC THEY WILL ACTIVATE.”> TROOPER DIGENOVA IS WEARING ONE OF THE BODY CAMERAS. 00;29;40;02– 00;29;47;15 <TPR. GIANCARLO DIGENOVA, VSP WILLISTON BARRACKS :07 “IT’S LIVE VIDEO WHICH AUTOMATICALLY DOWNLOADS TO OUR CLOUD, WHICH GOES INTO OUR SERVER WHERE THAT IS STORED.> ALL 200 TROOPERS ACROSS 10 STATE BARRACKS WILL HAVE THEM BY EARLY NEXT MONTH… 00;04;50;27– 00;04;54;24 <CAPT. MIKE MANLEY, VERMONT STATE POLICE :03 “IT’S NOT A BIG CHANGE FOR US TO PUT ANOTHER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ON.”> TROOPERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE TECHNOLOGY ON ALL OF ITS MEMBERS SINCE 2015. BUT IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE.. THE CAMERAS ALONE COST 7 HUNDRED 60 THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THE ANNUAL DATA STORAGE COSTS JUST UNDER 300 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS PAYING FOR THEM… (áááNAT HITááá) (SHORT NAT HIT TO BREAK UP TRACK( CAPTAIN MIKE MANLEY SAYS THIS IS TO PROTECT BOTH, CITIZENS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS. 00;04;55;21– 00;05;05;02 <CAPT. MIKE MANLEY, VERMONT STATE POLICE :07 “ESPECIALLY IF IT’S GONNA HELP US DO OUR JOB AND MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC’S TRUST AND INCREASE TRANSPARENCY.”> 00:00:54:05– 00:01:00:14 <SEN. TIM ASHE, (D) VERMONT :06 “WE HOPE WE’LL PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALLOW THE QUOTE ON QUOTE TRUE VERSION OF EVENTS TO BE KNOWN.”> 00;02;55;07– 00;03;02;14 <SEN. TIM ASHE, (D) VERMONT :07 “TRAGIC INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO HERE IN VERMONT HAVE ONLY HEIGHTENED THE NEED TO HAVE THESE CAMERAS.”> PROTESTERS – ANGRY ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY WAS EXCESSIVE FORCE USED BY POLICE LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, CAMPED OUTSIDE OF THE BURLINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR MORE THAN A MONTH… ONE OF THEIR DEMANDS WAS FOR ALL OFFICERS TO WEAR BODY CAMERAS. 00;05;47;05 — 00;05;53;21 <CAPT. MIKE MANLEY, VERMONT STATE POLICE :06 WE’RE EXCITED TO GET THEM OUT TO THE BARRACKS AND WE’RE HOPING TO HAVE THE REST OF THE (áááLIVEááá) THE ROLL-OUT OF THE BODY CAMERAS STARTED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AT THE WESTMINSTER BARRACKS AND THEN THE MIDDLESEX BARRACKS. WILLISTON WILL BE NEXT TO ISSUE THEM.

Vermont State Police begin using trooper body cameras

Vermont State Police troopers have begun wearing body cameras.The first troopers began wearing body cameras Nov. 12 at the Westminster barracks. Troopers based in Middlesex began wearing them on Nov. 19; troopers based in Williston joined them Monday.By early December, all 200 uniformed troopers from the state’s 10 barracks are expected to have the cameras.Troopers are required to activate the cameras when they’re performing any law-enforcement-related activity, such as traffic stops or criminal investigations Col. Matthew Birmingham, the head of the state police, says the cameras will enable the state police to serve communities “with another dimension of transparency.”

WATERBURY VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT, Vt. —

Vermont State Police troopers have begun wearing body cameras.

The first troopers began wearing body cameras Nov. 12 at the Westminster barracks. Troopers based in Middlesex began wearing them on Nov. 19; troopers based in Williston joined them Monday.

By early December, all 200 uniformed troopers from the state’s 10 barracks are expected to have the cameras.

Troopers are required to activate the cameras when they’re performing any law-enforcement-related activity, such as traffic stops or criminal investigations

Col. Matthew Birmingham, the head of the state police, says the cameras will enable the state police to serve communities “with another dimension of transparency.”