Monongahela police to start using body cameras

The Monongahela police department entered into a five-year agreement with Motorola for 14 cameras at a cost of about $42,000. The agreement also covers training and data storage. Most of the cost will be covered by a $30,000 donation received from EQT Corp.

“It was plenty of money to get the ball rolling,” Harris said. “Now I have three years to prepare my budget for the remaining years and needs of the body cameras.”

Monongahela has eight full-time and 17 part-time officers, allowing each of the full-time officers to be equipped with a body camera. The remaining cameras will be available to part-timers.

Harris said body cameras offer many benefits.

“It’s going to be one more level of transparency for the community to have,” Harris said. “It’s going to be a benefit for the community and the officers. It’s going to strengthen our investigative abilities as well. It’s one thing to be able to describe what occurred in an incident. It’s even more so when you’re description follows being shown exactly what it was from your vantage point.”

Along with the city, Monongahela officers handle police duties for the communities of New Eagle and Finleyville, as well as Union Township.

Many departments have begun to use body cameras. Officers in the city of Washington were to begin using body cameras Friday.