Body cameras are considered one of the best tools police departments have for transparency. But many police departments in greater Cincinnati and across the country still do not have them.WLWT's Inside Your Police Force investigative series started surveying departments in 2020, tracking topics like cameras, training and diversity. The series expanded to cover issues of recruiting and mental health among officers, as well. Our latest survey of police departments that operate in Hamilton County shows big changes over the last two years. More departments are equipped with body cameras in Hamilton County than ever before. Newtown police started suiting up with body cameras in September. Axon body cameras are now a permanent part of the Newtown police uniform. The footage can be quickly reviewed if there is a critical incident or allegation of wrongdoing. "It's been a long time coming," said Sgt. Jim Vontz. "We had officers before we actually got the Axon cameras — they were asking if they could buy their own cameras and carry them themselves. They wanted them that bad."Chief Tom Synan said the department has never been able to afford body cameras. He also was not sure if they were a good investment or not. His officers, all strongly in favor of purchasing the cameras, changed his mind."I think it really does help tell the story," Synan said. "It starts a conversation, both in-house and out in the public. ... It makes us a professional department. It keeps us on par with what some of the standards are across the country."Synan applied for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's first round of body camera grant funding in late 2021. The department was awarded more than $30,000. "The grant covered just about everything, except for about $1,000 which council ended up picking up that, and then council agreed to make sure that the program continued for the next 5 years at least," Synan said. "If we would not have got that grant, there's no way we would have gotten cameras."(Watch Part 2 in the player below)In the summer of 2020, WLWT surveyed every police department that polices in Hamilton County. At the time, 40 percent of departments had body cameras. WLWT surveyed departments again in 2022 and found that 66 percent of the county's 44 departments have body cameras, a 26 percent increase from 2020. Some of the departments to add body cameras in the last two years include Blue Ash, Fairfax, Forest Park, Golf Manor, Madeira and Wyoming.Milford police are rolling out their new body cameras this week. Reading police will be close behind. Police department Body cameras? Addyston No Amberley Village No *Applied for state grant Blue Ash Yes Cheviot No Cincinnati Yes Cincinnati State Yes Colerain Township Yes Deer Park No Delhi Township Yes Elmwood Place No Evendale Yes Fairfax Yes Fairfield (cover multiple counties) Yes Forest Park Yes Glendale Yes Golf Manor Yes Greenhills No Green Township Yes Hamilton County Great Parks Rangers Yes Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Yes Harrison No Indian Hill No Lockland No Loveland (cover multiple counties) No *Coming soon; Chief expects January rollout Madeira Yes Mariemont No Milford (cover multiple counties) Yes Montgomery No Mount Healthy Yes Mount Saint Joseph No Newtown Yes North College Hill Yes Norwood Yes Ohio State Highway Patrol Yes Reading Yes St. Bernard Yes Sharonville Yes Springdale Yes Springfield Township No *Applied for state grant Terrace Park No University of Cincinnati Yes Woodlawn Yes Wyoming Yes Xavier University Yes Departments like Forest Park, Newtown, Madeira, North College Hill, Reading and the University of Cincinnati all received funding from the state's grant program, either to start a body camera program or expand and update a current one. Loveland police also received state funding. The chief said he expects their cameras to hit the streets in January. The departments must sustain the programs on their own, paying for things like data storage, maintenance and even additional staff to redact footage for attorneys and public record requests.In 2020, 22 percent of the county's police departments had both body cameras and cruiser dashboard cameras. In 2022, 41 percent of departments have both. Rickell Howard Smith, executive director of the Center for Social Justice at the Urban League, said body cameras are the ultimate measure of transparency and accountability. The center launched in 2020 and quickly started surveying departments in the county to gather information on topics like training, use of force and body cameras. The center published an in-depth report earlier this year, making information that can be difficult to find easily accessible. "Being transparent actually helps to build trust," Howard Smith said. "I think that there are departments that want to be transparent. They don't necessarily know how."She noted that many of the departments without body cameras noted cost as a barrier. WLWT found the same in our investigation, particularly for smaller agencies. The center also works to promote grant opportunities like the state's current body-worn camera grant program with local police departments interested in purchasing body cameras."Our philosophy here, and we hope that the chiefs are on board too, is that you want to be proactive and not reactive," Howard Smith said. "We all live, work and play in different municipalities and that's part of the reason why, at the Center for Social Justice, we're pushing departments and really trying to collaborate with them to help them secure body cams."The number of police departments in the county without any cameras, body-worn cameras or dashboard cameras, went down since 2020, from 24 percent of departments to 18 percent. The departments on that list are as follows: Cheviot, Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Harrison, Indian Hill, Lockland, Mount Saint Joseph University and Springfield Township.
Body cameras are considered one of the best tools police departments have for transparency. But many police departments in greater Cincinnati and across the country still do not have them.
WLWT's Inside Your Police Force investigative series started surveying departments in 2020, tracking topics like cameras, training and diversity. The series expanded to cover issues of recruiting and mental health among officers, as well.
Our latest survey of police departments that operate in Hamilton County shows big changes over the last two years. More departments are equipped with body cameras in Hamilton County than ever before.
Newtown police started suiting up with body cameras in September. Axon body cameras are now a permanent part of the Newtown police uniform. The footage can be quickly reviewed if there is a critical incident or allegation of wrongdoing.
"It's been a long time coming," said Sgt. Jim Vontz. "We had officers before we actually got the Axon cameras — they were asking if they could buy their own cameras and carry them themselves. They wanted them that bad."
Chief Tom Synan said the department has never been able to afford body cameras. He also was not sure if they were a good investment or not. His officers, all strongly in favor of purchasing the cameras, changed his mind.
"I think it really does help tell the story," Synan said. "It starts a conversation, both in-house and out in the public. ... It makes us a professional department. It keeps us on par with what some of the standards are across the country."
Synan applied for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's first round of body camera grant funding in late 2021. The department was awarded more than $30,000.
"The grant covered just about everything, except for about $1,000 which council ended up picking up that, and then council agreed to make sure that the program continued for the next 5 years at least," Synan said. "If we would not have got that grant, there's no way we would have gotten cameras."
(Watch Part 2 in the player below)
In the summer of 2020, WLWT surveyed every police department that polices in Hamilton County. At the time, 40 percent of departments had body cameras.
WLWT surveyed departments again in 2022 and found that 66 percent of the county's 44 departments have body cameras, a 26 percent increase from 2020.
Some of the departments to add body cameras in the last two years include Blue Ash, Fairfax, Forest Park, Golf Manor, Madeira and Wyoming.
Milford police are rolling out their new body cameras this week. Reading police will be close behind.
|
Police department |
Body cameras? |
|
Addyston |
No |
|
Amberley Village |
No *Applied for state grant |
|
Blue Ash |
Yes |
|
Cheviot |
No |
|
Cincinnati |
Yes |
|
Cincinnati State |
Yes |
|
Colerain Township |
Yes |
|
Deer Park |
No |
|
Delhi Township |
Yes |
|
Elmwood Place |
No |
|
Evendale |
Yes |
|
Fairfax |
Yes |
|
Fairfield (cover multiple counties) |
Yes |
|
Forest Park |
Yes |
|
Glendale |
Yes |
|
Golf Manor |
Yes |
|
Greenhills |
No |
|
Green Township |
Yes |
|
Hamilton County Great Parks Rangers |
Yes |
|
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office |
Yes |
|
Harrison |
No |
|
Indian Hill |
No |
|
Lockland |
No |
|
Loveland (cover multiple counties) |
No *Coming soon; Chief expects January rollout |
|
Madeira |
Yes |
|
Mariemont |
No |
|
Milford (cover multiple counties) |
Yes |
|
Montgomery |
No |
|
Mount Healthy |
Yes |
|
Mount Saint Joseph |
No |
|
Newtown |
Yes |
|
North College Hill |
Yes |
|
Norwood |
Yes |
|
Ohio State Highway Patrol |
Yes |
|
Reading |
Yes |
|
St. Bernard |
Yes |
|
Sharonville |
Yes |
|
Springdale |
Yes |
|
Springfield Township |
No *Applied for state grant |
|
Terrace Park |
No |
|
University of Cincinnati |
Yes |
|
Woodlawn |
Yes |
|
Wyoming |
Yes |
|
Xavier University |
Yes |
Departments like Forest Park, Newtown, Madeira, North College Hill, Reading and the University of Cincinnati all received funding from the state's grant program, either to start a body camera program or expand and update a current one.
Loveland police also received state funding. The chief said he expects their cameras to hit the streets in January.
The departments must sustain the programs on their own, paying for things like data storage, maintenance and even additional staff to redact footage for attorneys and public record requests.
In 2020, 22 percent of the county's police departments had both body cameras and cruiser dashboard cameras. In 2022, 41 percent of departments have both.
Rickell Howard Smith, executive director of the Center for Social Justice at the Urban League, said body cameras are the ultimate measure of transparency and accountability.
The center launched in 2020 and quickly started surveying departments in the county to gather information on topics like training, use of force and body cameras. The center published an in-depth report earlier this year, making information that can be difficult to find easily accessible.
"Being transparent actually helps to build trust," Howard Smith said. "I think that there are departments that want to be transparent. They don't necessarily know how."
She noted that many of the departments without body cameras noted cost as a barrier. WLWT found the same in our investigation, particularly for smaller agencies. The center also works to promote grant opportunities like the state's current body-worn camera grant program with local police departments interested in purchasing body cameras.
"Our philosophy here, and we hope that the chiefs are on board too, is that you want to be proactive and not reactive," Howard Smith said. "We all live, work and play in different municipalities and that's part of the reason why, at the Center for Social Justice, we're pushing departments and really trying to collaborate with them to help them secure body cams."
The number of police departments in the county without any cameras, body-worn cameras or dashboard cameras, went down since 2020, from 24 percent of departments to 18 percent. The departments on that list are as follows: Cheviot, Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Harrison, Indian Hill, Lockland, Mount Saint Joseph University and Springfield Township.
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