Hialeah police to finally join the wave of cities whose cops wear body cameras
Hialeah, one of the last holdouts in Miami-Dade to outfit police officers with body cameras, is poised to change that outdated policy .
Hialeah commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to pay Axon Technology Solutions almost $4 million over five years for Body Worn Cameras for its 300 sworn police officers. The company will also provide data storage, training and manage the software needed to make the recorded footage available.
The large purchase , which needs a second vote in two weeks to become official, was pushed by Mayor Carlos Hernandez, who said the time was right for a city that had been discussing the purchase of the technology for a few years.
“I think it’s mandatory that we do this,” the mayor said. “People expect these body cameras today. We’re seeing how important they are.”
Though Hernandez didn’t name specific cases, police body camera footage is now considered an almost irreplaceable tool for the public, prosecutors, political leaders and defense attorneys. It’s front and center in most of the national crime stories that are grabbing public attention, like the George Floyd trial, the killing of Daunte Wright in Minnesota and the inexplicable arrest of a Black army lieutenant while in uniform in Virginia.
Should Hialeah commissioners approve the deal, the expensive purchase will be paid in five installments. The first payment this year will be for $934,274. That would be followed by payments of $760,381 in each of the following four years.
Almost every other major police department in Miami-Dade has employed the technology for years. Miami Gardens began using it in 2018. Miami-Dade, Miami Beach and Miami police deployed it much earlier. Though many officers and the police unions that represent them were at first hesitant about the technology, they now consider it a necessary tool that helps in prosecutions and, more often than not, support police narratives during questioned interactions with the public.
It’s also a tool that most of the public demands. The family of Edward Foster III, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Homestead in 2015, used last summer’s social justice protests to call for outfitting Homestead cops with Body Worn Cameras. Foster was the third person the same Homestead officer had shot and killed in the past decade, while on duty.
Though officer Anthony Green was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing after a lengthy investigation, the city finally relented and agreed to purchase cameras for its officers. As of Jan 1, every officer in Homestead was wearing a Body Worn Camera.
With a $39 million budget and 300 sworn officers, Hialeah is one of the largest police departments in Miami-Dade County. Only Miami-Dade, the city of Miami and Miami Beach have larger agencies.
Prior to Tuesday’s vote in Hialeah, Councilman Paul Hernandez was concerned about the training needed for officers to operate the new cameras properly. He was assured by Police Chief Sergio Velazquez that it wouldn’t be a problem. The chief also spoke of new “triggers” that automatically activate cameras so officers don’t have to worry about it during a dangerous encounter.
For instance, said the chief, if an officer pulls a gun or Taser from his or her holster, the camera is automatically activated. It also happens whenever an officer turns on the vehicle’s flashing lights.
“I am a police officer’s son and a police officer’s brother,” said Hernandez. “I want to make sure it protects the citizens and the officers alike.”
Said the chief: “It’s another tool the officer has to properly do his job. It’s not Big Brother looking in.”
