Derrek Vaughn | The Valdosta Daily TimesThe new body camera is seen up close worn by Valdosta Police Department Officer Derrek Manning.

VALDOSTA— Valdosta Police Department has new body cameras for patrol officers, which upload video footage wirelessly. 

Derrek Manning, a Valdosta patrol officer, said the difference between the old and new body cameras is officers do not have to return to the police department to label and upload video. 

Instead, he said officers are able to stay in the field longer as they can use the touchscreen on the back of the camera to label footage, and the video uploads to the system using the wi-fi hotspot in the patrol vehicles or other assigned hotspots. 

“This is going to save a lot of man hours,” Manning said. 

“It ( the video) can be uploaded to the server within 10 minutes (with the new cameras), where with the old system we would have to wait 30 minutes to an hour just for it to download, then we had to go in to label the videos,” he said. 

Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said the cameras with wireless capability were chosen with the officers in mind, as the cameras are user-friendly and help prevent work from piling up at the end of shifts.

“If you’re going call to call to call, you do not have time to come down (to the police department) throughout the shift and download this video, then when you do get down here it’s taking forever,” Childress said. 

Manning said the camera, which also records audio, is manually activated by clicking a button. He said the officers are held accountable for activating their body cameras during interactions, such as when responding to calls, at traffic stops, etc. 

“I think this body camera will also ensure that officers at the Valdosta Police Department remain professional,” he said. 

Childress said once recorded, the footage cannot be deleted or tampered with. 

“This is good for the officers, and it’s absolutely good for the community,” he said of the new cameras. 

Kimberly Cannon is a Reporter with The Valdosta Daily Times. Her extension is 1376.