HAMBURG, N.Y. — The Town of Hamburg is in the process of buying body cameras for its police officers, so they weren’t wearing them on Friday during the shooting.
In 2021, the Town of Hamburg and its police department did a community survey about policing and came up with best practices that include a plan to buy body cameras for officers.
“We have secured a grant for them. The Town Board allocated money in the 2024 budget for body cameras, so we are in the process of creating a policy, looking at things of how they would work procedurally, and there’s union issues, but I am confident that in 2024 we will have body cameras,” said Town of Hamburg Police Chief Peter Dienes.
That plan calls for officers to be required to activate their body cameras from the moment they answer a call involving a community member, and the cameras would stay on until the end of the call if no one‘s arrested and through the booking process if they are.
“In 2021, you came up with a plan saying that you were going to buy body cameras, still don’t have body cameras, how would body cameras help or hurt your situation in this case, because the attorney representing the officer in this case, told us last night that the cameras would help in your situation,” said 2 On Your Side’s Kelly Dudzik.
“I would agree with that. I mean most times, we have to look at body camera, well, agencies have to look at body camera footage whether it’s a complaint, whether it’s an officer-involved shooting, I think almost 99% of the time the officers doing the right thing,” said Chief Dienes.
The homeowner didn’t have security cameras, so police say there is no video of Friday’s incident.
Town of Hamburg in the process of buying body cameras for its police officers
In 2021, the Town of Hamburg and its police department did a community survey about policing and came up with best practices.