Tribal police equipping body and vehicle cameras

BARAGA– One local police department will begin using some new equipment with hopes of being more transparent.

The Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police are equipping all their officers and patrol vehicles with cameras. Officials from the department say that they are using these cameras to be more transparent with the public.

They feel that equipping officers with cameras will also help ensure that everyone in a situation involving the tribal police is on their best behavior.

“I think with these cameras it’s going to add transparency to both, whenever there is a contact made between our on officers on complaints,” said Keweenaw Bay Tribal Police Commissioner Dale Dakota. “They’ll both act better knowing that the cameras are on.”

The department says that body cameras have been shown to improve both the performance of officers and conduct of community members involved with the police.

The cameras will go into effect after all members of the department have been trained to use them and save their recordings.