Earlier this week, Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police [MSP], announced that over the next six months, approximately 100 State Troopers will begin wearing a body camera as part of a pilot program.
The pilot program is part of MSP’s operational reforms that have been undertaken over the past year.
Colonel Gilpin said, “Body cameras offer the potential to bring a new level of officer safety, transparency, and accurate documentation to the tens of thousands of interactions our personnel have with the public every year. We are evaluating several different body camera platforms before selecting the best solution. My Command Staff and I are working collaboratively with the union that represents Troopers and Sergeants on this important new capability.”
According to the MSP, the cameras will provide an additional level of accountability and accuracy for Troopers during their interactions with the public, increase officer safety, and enhance the ability to accurately document the actions of criminal offenders.
Mark Lynch, President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM), said, “SPAM is committed to working in partnership with the Baker-Polito Administration in employing new technologies that may benefit the safety of SPAM’s members and the public that we protect. SPAM supports the administration’s body-worn camera pilot program and looks forward to examining the perceived benefits and potential improvements with the use of these technologies.”
Details of the body camera pilot program:
• Pilot program duration of six months involving approximately 100 participants from the State Police;
• Pilot participants will evaluate different vendor devices over this six-month period with the goal of identifying the best camera solution for the department’s policing mission;
• The Massachusetts State Police and SPAM signed a MOU last week in which SPAM agreed to support the program;
• The pilot program will scale to 100 participants over the next two weeks.
