2016 Rock Hill Police Department Body Worn Camera Implementation Program

The Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program (BWC PIP) provides funding to limited public agencies (i.e., states, units of local government, (including tribal government, recognized by the Secretary of the Interior), combinations of such states or units, or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the foregoing), that perform criminal justice functions; and national and regional public and private entities, including for-profit (commercial) and nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations), faith-based and community organizations, and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education) that support initiatives to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee.

The BWC PIP, funded under the 2016 Department of Justice Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113), will support the implementation of body-worn camera programs in law enforcement agencies across the country. The intent of the program is help agencies develop, implement, and evaluate a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust. Elements of such an approach include; Implementation of a BWC program developed in a planned and phased approach; Collaboration that leverages partnerships with cross-agency criminal justice stakeholders including prosecutors and advocacy organizations; Implementation of appropriate privacy policies; Implementation of operational procedures and tracking mechanisms; Training of officers, administrators, and associated agencies requiring access to digital multimedia evidence (DME); Adoption of practices and deployment of BWC programs appropriately addressing operational requirements.

The city of Rock Hill, through the Rock Hill Police Department, will utilize FY2016 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program funds to purchase, pilot, and deploy 159 body worn cameras among its officers. The goals of the project are to 1) Develop policy and training for the BWC Program; 2) Establish a financially stable BWC Program that uses current technologically; 3) Issue BWC’s to all sworn officers of the RHPD who interact with the public in a law enforcement capacity; 4) Establish secure management of audio and video files to ensure proper identification, retention, and accessibility concerning RHPD officer conduct, arrests, and investigations; 5) Enhance the high level of professional public service that is expected of RHPD officers and improve public awareness, perceived legitimacy and sense of fairness by the general public; 6) Report Department activities to further educate and enhance other law enforcement agencies.

CA/NCF