Police Body-Worn Camera Program Rolls Out Ahead Of Schedule

SARASOTA, FL – After years in the works, the Sarasota Police Department started rolling out its new body-worn camera program last month.

Training for uniformed officers began April 21 and should wrap up by the end of May. All patrol officers will be trained on and outfitted with the cameras by Friday, Chief Jim Rieser said at a news conference Wednesday.

The program’s full rollout of 122 Axon Body 3 cameras should be completed by the end of June, which is ahead of schedule, Rieser said. Originally, the department “was looking at a July start date,” he added.

An additional 32 Axon Flex 2 body-worn cameras will be issued to members of the agency’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the Emergency Response Team, totaling 154 cameras for the department, according to a news release from SPD.

The chief called the program “historic” for the city of Sarasota, calling the body-worn camera technology “the wave of the future for law enforcement.”

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The cameras “will enhance accountability and public trust” and “product maximum transparency,” he said.

The program got its start in 2014, said Peter Ferranti, SPD’s new body camera manager. Then, “it hit some snags with Florida laws and some other things that occurred back then.”

In 2017, state laws changed, allowing officers “to film on the streets,” he said.

With these hurdles out of the way, discussions to revive the body-warn camera program were revived in July 2020 and have moved forward ever since, Rieser said.

In October, Sarasota city commissioners voted unanimously to approve and fund the program. After this, the focus turned to hiring a body-worn camera manager, writing policy relating to the technology and training officers, the chief said.

The complete program – including body-worn cameras, tasers, training, personnel, and associated software and hardware with unlimited storage of case recordings – is estimated to cost the city around $3.2 million over five years, SPD said.

All officers will complete a six-hour training class on the cameras. After that, they will begin to wear them as part of their daily uniform. The cameras will be worn on or near each officer’s chest, clipped into a holder.

Officers must activate their cameras as soon as they are assigned to any calls for service or at the start of all self-initiated investigatory contacts, SPD said.

The Axon Body 3 cameras are an “all-encompassing system” within one unit, including the battery, Ferranti said. They’re also Bluetooth- and wi-fi-enabled and offer a 360-degree, wide-angle view. Officers can stream their recorded videos directly to their phones for review.

The cameras offer objective recordings of officers’ interactions with citizens, he said. “The camera just records everything it records. The video unbiasedly tells you what happened… This is us showing you what we’re doing out there on a daily basis.”

“This is a technological journey our agency is beginning,” said Chief Jim Rieser. “These cameras will objectively be able to record officer-citizen contacts and critical incidents in real-time and will enhance the accuracy of officer reports and testimony in court. These body worn cameras are another tool our officers will have that will allow us maximum transparency within our community,” said Chief Rieser.