Police officers in Cranston begin wearing body cameras

February 10, 2023 5:36 pm

Alex Dube, Heather Sillins,

The Cranston Police Department shared this photo of an Axon Body-Worn camera. (Cranston Police Department)

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Some Cranston police officers have started wearing body cameras, with more to follow by the end of the month.

The department entered a 5-year contract with Axon that costs $663,382. The contract includes purchasing 92 cameras with unlimited cloud-based storage and other software.

Chief Michael Winquist said all technical infrastructure has been installed and all officers have been trained on how to use the cameras.

As of Friday, 12 officers patrol officers are wearing the cameras to test the equipment.

As long as the equipment works as expected, 72 additional officers will be issued cameras within the next two weeks.

The chief said officers with body cameras will be required to wear and activate the cameras when responding to or initiating calls for service, during investigations, and “taking enforcement action” with a member of the public.

The body cameras are intended to be another tool to “promote transparency and accountability” and “serve as an unbiased witness” to interactions between officers and people.