Irwin’s police chief is seeking money to purchase six body cameras for the department’s police officers.
“We want to make sure that our officers and the borough are protected,” Irwin police Chief Dan Wensel told borough council at a recent meeting.
Wensel told borough council that Axon Enterprise Inc. could provide the borough with the cameras for less than $20,000. The chief said he and Mayor Jeff Clem spoke with Axon representatives and were able to get the company to reduce the price from $27,000 for three body-worn cameras to less than $20,000 for the six cameras by eliminating some features in the contract, including licensing agreements. The company will provide the computer software for those cameras and the storage capacity for the video that is recorded.
“The digital evidence goes to the iCloud,” Wensel said.
Axon’s price was approved through the state’s cooperative purchasing program, said Shari Martino, borough manager.
Irwin council gave Wensel the authorization to seek funding from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office to cover a portion of the cost. The chief said he was not certain how much money might be available from the district attorney’s office. Funds come from crime forfeitures.
Wensel plans to apply for a grant through the U.S. Justice Department’s Small Rural and Tribal Body Worn Camera program. The program will match the borough’s contribution up to $2,000 per body camera, Wensel said.
The North Huntingdon and Latrobe police departments are among the local police departments that have body cameras for their officers.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.