Del City police are patrolling the streets this weekend with upgraded technology. The The city council recently approved the much-needed upgrades in body cameras, Tasers and a new drone.
The Del City Police Department received the new body cameras and Tasers from Axon Enterprise this week. The new drone will add to the department’s fleet of eight.
“The technology has been a game changer for years,” said Lt. Blake Reichart, Del City Police Department. “The body cam especially.”
New body cameras for every officer
Every Del City officer will be outfitted with the newest Axon body-worn cameras.
“These new cameras have higher resolution, they’re a little more durable,” said Reichart “They’re just the latest that Axon has to offer.”
Reichart said body cameras are a must for law enforcement officers responding to calls and investigations.
“The District Attorney’s office uses them in all of our court cases,” said Reichart. “We use them both for officer accountability and as evidence in cases.”
Taser upgrades aim to de-escalate situations
Officers are going through training on the new Tasers, a less-lethal tool for de-escalation in potentially violent situations.
“The unique thing about this is instead of only holding two darts in a cartridge it actually has ten darts,” said Reichart. “So, if one of the projectiles doesn’t connect properly the officer can quickly deploy a second one.”
Easily stopping a suspect in their tracks. The department gave us a live demonstration on one of their officers in a protective suit.
“The probes are more accurate and supposedly have better penetration through clothing.” said Reichart.
Drone program continues to expand
The department’s fleet of drones is growing. Reichert said the “eyes in the sky” increases officers’ response times when seconds count.
“The drone program that we’ve had for years has been a great success,” said Reichart. “We’ve caught numerous felony suspects, recovered missing children.”
Something new coming to the department this summer is virtual reality training. Officers will be able to respond to simulated incidents, allowing them to train on de-escalation tactics and communication skills.
Part of the new technology package is a Community Portal. This will allow police to email or text citizens a link to upload photos and videos from their phones to assist in investigations.
