Medford Police Move Forward With Body Camera Plan

MEDFORD, MA — A plan to implement body-worn cameras among Medford police officers is underway, Police Chief Jack Buckley said. In response to a request from community group Mobilize Medford to develop a plan for body cameras by the end of 2020, Buckley said he met with the vendor June 24, which he called a "valuable first step."

In 2017, the city negotiated an agreement with both its police unions to pave the way for their use, Buckley said. The unions were in favor of utilizing body cameras, but budget constraints mean the department now has to get "creative" to develop an actionable plan, he added.

Buckley said there is "little doubt" a plan will be in place by the end of the year. This will include creating a policy for using body cameras, which can range from requiring officers to turn the camera on during every public encounter to having the cameras automatically activate for certain noises or actions. One such action could be officers removing their gun from its holster.

"In theory, I wholeheartedly agree that any officer who manipulates their body-worn camera with the intent to deceive, tamper or cover up an incident will be punished," Buckley said. "I give the commitment to provide policy language that reflects this belief."