Body cameras for Sturgis Police

Patrol officers with the Sturgis Police Department will be outfitted with body-camera technology in the next two to three weeks.
Sturgis city commissioners this week approved a five-year contract to purchase the hardware and data storage.
Geoffrey Smith, director of public safety for the city of Sturgis, recommended the no-bid purchase, saying Arizona-based Taser International is the only firm that combined all the infrastructure and technology the police department requires.
The department will pay about $9,000 for eight cameras and support equipment, and another $5,600 to have Taser electronically store body-camera footage and digital photographic evidence the next year.
The package also includes lifetime replacement warranties and software that facilitates sharing the images, including responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.

The city will pay a $36 insurance fee annually for each camera, which covers the cost of replacement every 2 1/2 years and every five years for docking equipment.
Smith said he recommended the purchase to be ahead of the national curve and to increase the department’s transparency in its interaction with the public.