Officer Gerry Ricco demonstrates
the body cameras that Delray Beach Police will be using.
Photo provided
By Rich Pollack
When Capt. Tom Mitchell started in law enforcement close to three decades ago, the only cameras available to help police do their jobs were regular film cameras and Polaroids, which could instantly develop a crime scene photo or a suspect’s mug shot.
Fast forward to today and you’ll find cameras have become an integral part of law enforcement’s effort to prevent crime and apprehend lawbreakers.
“Look at what cameras have done in assisting in security,” says Mitchell, who is leading the Delray Beach Police Department’s efforts to use cameras to do everything from streaming live images from a crime scene to capturing license plate numbers. “Cameras hold people accountable. They’re making us more responsible for our actions, and they’re making citizens more responsible for their actions.”
They’re also helping police better prove their cases in court.
“Today, you’d better be able to show the picture, not just paint it,” Mitchell says.
While other police departments in the area are using cameras, few can match the effort Delray Beach is putting into using the latest video technology.
Last month the department became the most recent law enforcement agency in Palm Beach County to use body cameras. It assigned the cameras to 20 officers, mostly sergeants, lieutenants and canine officers. However, it could be outfitting all of its more than 150 officers with cameras within three to five years.
In August, Mitchell and others are expected to go before the City Commission to request the go-ahead to install license plate recognition cameras in five locations, all east of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Not long after that, Mitchell and others in the department hope to have its new video intelligence center up and running. The center will make it possible to monitor cameras on public buildings in real time. It will also enable the department to monitor cameras installed by private businesses that give the city permission. “We’re hoping to form partnerships to allow us to stream their video,” Mitchell says.
To illustrate the value, he paints a hypothetical example in which a suspect, aware of cameras, wears dark glasses and a baseball cap to hide his face during a bank robbery.
As the crook heads out the door, police are alerted and tap into live feeds from cameras monitoring a parking lot next door, after gaining permission from the business owner. There they can see the suspect get into a small blue car and head south. Information is immediately relayed to responding officers, who now have a better chance of intercepting the vehicle and making an arrest.
At some point, Mitchell says, responding officers may even receive the streaming video on the computers in their vehicles.
While cameras will focus on the suspect, they’ll also monitor the actions of the officers, leading to accountability for the steps they take.
Body cameras also will be used for accountability, not just when it comes to the actions of the officers but when it comes to the actions of individuals.
“This organization will always be accountable,” Chief Jeff Goldman said in unveiling the body cameras.
He was quick to point out that the body cameras are not perfect because they offer only a limited view. Still he believes they can provide valuable information.
Police are also being proactive when it comes to the use of cameras by businesses and residential communities.
A department team works closely with the city’s planning and zoning department to recommend locations where businesses could benefit from having closed-circuit monitoring systems.
“We’ve been recommending CCTV at strategic locations,” Mitchell said.
While there may be privacy concerns, Mitchell says the evolution of technology has taken away the expectation of privacy on public streets, especially since anyone with a cellphone can instantly record anything he or she sees.
In fact, Mitchell says, he will be putting up signs to ensure everyone knows video surveillance is in use.
“We want people to know this isn’t Big Brother,” he said. “This is for people’s protection. Cameras are making residents and visitors safer, and that’s the ultimate goal.”
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