OCEAN CITY – Resort leaders say they hope to have a body-worn camera program in place by next summer.
In a meeting of the Ocean City Police Commission on Monday, Capt. Mike Colbert told resort leaders that command staff with the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) have started working with the town’s information technology and purchasing departments to vet vendors and explore cost options for a body-worn camera program.
“We’re looking at between 170 and 200 cameras that we would need, depending on who falls under the criteria …,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk of having public safety aides – they aren’t required by state law – have them covered as well. That adds to the cost obviously.”
Earlier this year, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation mandating law enforcements agencies to wear body-worn cameras to document their interactions with the public. While departments have until 2025 to adopt the use of body-worn cameras, Colbert said the OCPD is hoping to launch a program by the start of next season.
“We’re shooting for next summer,” he said. “It’s an aggressive timeframe, but talking to all the players involved we think we can do it if that’s what the city wants to do. We’re going to set ourselves up so that we can be in the position to do that.”
Get them for lifeguards and firemen, too.
Start selling sponsor opportunities on anything….that expensive 94th dog walking area, the skate park, north park, convention center, coastal highway sponsored by xxxzx…hell even life guard chairs, reinitiate alcohol to go for more sales tax revenue, give dpw metal detectors to find paydirt in the sand. How about selling all the leftover beach stuff people wont take home. When there is spring and fall bulk collection, dont throw any items that can be turned into $$$$$$. Think outside the box OC, taxing us seems not to work since tax and spend always go hand in hand and there is never any flex for items lime this. The govt will only supply so much. Last i checked the govt is over $30 trillion in the hole.
Why wait until next summer?
Slow walking much?