Rich

THOMASVILLE — Thomasville City Council approved a $100,000 expenditure for Thomasville Police Department equipment designed to provide visual evidence.

Council action approved the budgeted purchase of 18 in-car video systems to replace the same number of systems no longer supported by the manufacturer. The WatchGuard 4RE Video Systems will be purchased from WatchGuard Video.

“This is Phase II of our project. Last year, we purchased 25,” Police Chief Troy Rich told council members at a workshop.

Rich said 16 more video systems — at a cost of $84,050 — are needed to put the video systems in all 59 vehicles in the TPD fleet.

“Video is paramount,” Rich told the Times-Enterprise.

The equipment records all events an officer encounters daily. 

“The cameras are there as a means to record the encounter, which also will provide us with possible evidence,” Rich said.

The camera systems, which also have audio, could provide protection for an officer against whom a complaint is filed and exonerate the officer of wrongdoing. 

“Officers know their activity is being recorded,” Rich said.

The cameras also could hold officers accountable. Rich said that if an officer is recorded doing something improper or unsafe, the situation could be corrected through training or counseling.

If a suspect in a violent incident says he or she did not say or do something, “it’s on camera,” the chief said.

“When the camera is activated, it goes back 30 seconds and records everything 30 seconds forward,” Rich said.

The system provides a camera to record back seat prisoner transports, along with a panoramic view of activity alongside a police unit.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820