As of yesterday afternoon, the Ithaca Police department is one of the first law enforcement agencies in our area to start requiring officers to wear body cameras. On-duty officers are required to record all law enforcement activity with the public, beginning immediately when the officer notifies dispatch. The videos taken by these body cameras will be uploaded by officers to a cloud network at the end of each shift. The videos will automatically delete after 6-months, unless they are needed by authorities for a longer period of time. Officers will be able to review footage, but will not be allowed to edit or delete the footage. Ithaca Police Chief John Barber and Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick both expressed their excitement for the new technology. The incorporation of the cameras into the police force is aimed at making more evidence available for criminal investigations, as well as holding police more accountable.
