One of the reasons these cameras are being purchased for the Orlando Police Department is because of actions like those seen in this video. This video was uploaded to YouTube earlier this year.
Orlando taxpayers will be paying almost a million dollars a year so that Orlando Police Department can police their own Officers. They have such a problem with complaints against Officers that under this new plan $801,900 per year will be paid to a privately owned company so the department can store video captured from the 450 body cams soon to be worn by Orlando Police Department officers.
The other benefits the OPD says the cams will provide:
The other benefits the OPD says the cams will provide:
- reduce response to resistance incidents
- reduce complaints
- Protect Officers from false complaints
- Provide valuable evidence for prosecutors
- positively influence Officer behavior.
- Improve evidence collection
- Improve report writing
- Help officers improve their police work in general by having the opportunity to review their own video.
- Strengthen community trust
- Improve accountability and transparency
The cams would have been here sooner but in April two officers got ethics complaints filed against them because while the City was determining which company would get the contract to provide the cameras, it was revealed that these two officers were working for one of the body camera companies truing to get the contract! The bid had to be scrapped and re-issued in June.
A new Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on June 1, 2016 to select a qualified firm to provide Body Worn Cameras and ongoing data storage. Eleven (11) responsive proposals were received and reviewed by an Advisory Committee comprised of the following individuals:
- Orlando Rolon (Chair Person), Police Deputy Chief
- Marko Zecevic, Technology Business Analyst
- Jose R Velez Jimenez, Police Captain
- Douglas A Goerke, Police Lieutenant
- Austin L Moore, Police Legal Advisor II
Motorola was the company selected to provide the cameras and store the video.
The initial contract term is three (3) years with an option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year terms. The estimated expenditure for the first year that includes the purchase of 450 cameras, related equipment and data storage is $1,153,487. The estimated annual data storage expenditure for the remaining years is $801,900.