Unsolicited donations to help Port fund body cameras

Port Washington Mayor Marty Becker on Tuesday presented City Administrator Tony Brown with a $500 check, a contribution toward the purchase of new body cameras for the police department.

Becker said he and his wife Cindy were inspired to make the donation after hearing of two other contributions made for the body cameras, which he called essential equipment for officers.

“I felt a civic duty. It’s really important to have cameras for their protection and the public’s protection,” Becker, who served on the Police and Fire Commission for seven years, said.

The police department has also received an $800 donation toward the cameras from Anita’s Garden and $2,500 from another local business, he said.

Police Chief Kevin Hingiss said Tuesday that the donors both told him they decided to make the contributions “because of the service they’ve received from the police department through the years.

“We’ve got a bunch of great officers,” he said.

Rick Nelson, chairman of the Police and Fire Commission, said, “It’s terrific to see that kind of support.”

The donations, he said, were unsolicited and speak to the support the Port department has in a world where law enforcement officers have come under increasing scrutiny.

“I think people, at least in this city, respect their police and fire department, and this is their way of showing support for the police,” Nelson said.

The importance of body cameras in today’s world can’t be overstated, he added.

“It’s like having your gun or your flashlight,” Nelson said.

Hingiss asked the Police and Fire Commission in September to buy 10 new cameras at a cost of $27,000, which includes maintenance of the device, technical support, replacement of any broken cameras and storage of the data.

Officers share the equipment, he said, adding there are seldom times when more officers are working at once. During this summer’s protests and demonstrations, when more officers were working, Hingiss noted that they were paired up and one of them had a camera.

But the commission recommended buying as many as 20 new body cameras, enough so every officer would have one.

The five-year cost of the cameras, their maintenance, replacement of broken units, data storage, licensing fees, system upgrades, docking stations and sidearm kits is $91,700, Hingiss said. The fee also includes the replacement of the cameras after 2-1/2 and five years.

“To me, they are absolutely essential for any police department in this day and age,” Nelson said at the time.

Body cameras provide an unbiased eye that is helpful for officers, prosecutors and the public, officials said.

The footage can provide evidence in court cases and can be invaluable if accusations are made against an officer, they added.

“Given the current situation in the world, it’s very effective insurance. One incident would cost you so much more,” commission member Jim Biever said last month.

The Port Washington Police Department  first equipped its officers with body cameras in 2012, Hingiss said, and it is still using the same system “and probably still has some of the original cameras.”

Those cameras are nearing the end of their life, he said.

The new cameras would not only provide the department with working models, the devices also have features that may prove key, Nelson said.

“What’s particularly nice about these is if you pull your gun out of the holster, it turns on your body camera and the cameras of any officers nearby,” he said. “In certain situations, an officer could forget to turn their camera on so that’s really a valuable thing.”

Officers don’t always have their cameras running, officials said, noting that many calls are minor and there’s no need to tape the interaction.

Footage that’s recorded is kept for about 130 days, Hingiss said. If the call results in an arrest, copies are made for evidence and the footage could be kept forever.  

Hingiss said he would like to order the new cameras by the end of the year, with the city fronting the cost initially. The department may have some money left in its budget to cover some of the cost, he said, with the rest coming from its capital budget and the donations.

Becker said he hopes his donation will prompt others to help fund the cameras.

“I would love it to spur other people,” he said. “It’s a good civic thing, giving back to the community. Give 10 bucks if that’s what you can.”