UPDATE: The Southaven board of aldermen approved the contract.
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SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (localmemphis.com) – Monday night, the Southaven Police Department could be close to becoming the first DeSoto County law enforcement agency to require its officers wear body cameras on patrol.
The Southaven board of aldermen will vote on a contract totest out the first of several camera options, and the Southaven Police chief ishopeful all officers will have body cameras on duty this fall.
Those on all sides of the legal system agreed that bodycameras in Southaven – or elsewhere – provide transparency for both policeofficers and the citizens they serve.
“It just protects, protects our citizens, protects ourofficers,” Southaven Police Chief Macon Moore said.
For Chief Moore, adding body worn cameras and patrol cardash cameras to his department became a passion project, after being sworn inlast summer.
“To be a progressive law enforcement agency in 2020, Ithink this is piece of equipment that’s it’s just a no brainer for us,” ChiefMoore said.
Police and city leaders spent recent months hashing out thebody camera policy, how data will be stored and other legal issues.
“This is not an inexpensive project, that’s why we aretaking our time to get it right,” Chief Moore said.
Not having police body camera footage was significant afterthe 2017 shooting death of Ismael Lopez by Southaven officers who went to thewrong address while trying to serve a warrant.
Attorney Murray Wells – who filed a wrongful death lawsuiton behalf of Lopez’ family – supports Southaven Police’s push to add the bodyand dash camera technology.
“It’s a protection for everyone: it’s a protection for the accused, it’s a protection for victims, it’s a protection for everyone because now there is accountability,” Wells said.
If all goes as planned, Chief Moore said the body camerascould be on nearly 100 patrol officers by October, welcome news to those wholive in Southaven.
“The video is going to show everything. If it’s oncamera, you’re going to see it, so you can’t hide the truth if you see it onvideo,” Adrian Martin said.
Right now, Hernando Police, Horn Lake Police and the DesotoCounty Sheriff’s Department do not have body worn cameras in operation. TheOlive Branch Police Department has considered the idea in the past.
Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite issued the followingstatement:
“Our goal to eventually have body cameras on all of our officers has a two-pronged purpose… 1) To ensure the utmost standards of professionalism by our Police… 2) To protect our Police from ridiculously-false accusations that are commonplace in our society now.”