American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were allocated to upgrade the cameras located in Granby’s police cruisers. This project was completed in July and all cruisers now have the AXON Fleet Cruiser cameras installed.
Having cameras in all marked police cars is mandated by state law, and Granby’s previous system (Watch Guard) was outdated and not compatible with the AXON body cameras the officers wear. The AXON Fleet Cruiser cameras use the same data storage system and user software, making data management simpler.
The vehicle camera is turned on manually whenever the officer turns on the cruiser’s emergency lights or his or her body camera. Chief Sansom notes that, “The AXON system is the most popular in the state; it is turnkey and has tremendous customer support.” AXON is reliable and easy to use, and the data management is not only simple, but also secure. Sansom believes that the cameras are a great law enforcement tool and help to protect the officers.
The total cost of the project was $59,977.90, which was $17,997.90 more than originally estimated. Both the estimate and the final cost were approved by the Board of Selectmen.