ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Elizabethtown Police Department is requesting to open the bid process for body cameras that would outfit additional patrol officers.
Police Chief Jeremy Thompson testified to the city council Monday and submitted the request.
Currently, 10 of the department's 50 patrol officers are equipped with the technology.
"We want to make sure that if we have something in place, we have something that's going to protect citizens, that's going to protect officers," Thompson said.
The department's current program adds five additional body cams each year. Two years ago, it began with five, and it added five more last year.
If the department continues its plan with its current vendor, it would add only five more this year.
"Here we are having to make a decision," Thompson said. "Do we pull the trigger and go forward with these new five and continue on this? Or do we push pause, wait and work out something to get all of those at once?"
Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson
Some of the officers already have experienced technical issues with the technology, and it raises questions about what would happen in a situation where a camera malfunctioned in a situation where the video evidence could be crucial.
That, paired with the department's emphasis on transparency, is the reason it's looking at other options.
"If we have a mechanism to where we can be transparent, we're certainly not opposed to it," Thompson said.
Thompson said it's a real possibility that the city and department move forward in the direction that would outfit all of the Elizabethtown Police Department's patrol officers with body cameras. However, it could cost the city somewhere in the ballpark of $500,000.
"Instead of just cherry-picking what shift or what officer does or doesn't receive one, we can just go ahead and outfit everybody with one," Thompson said.
It's not clear what the ultimate decision will be, but the department wants to reevaluate its program and figure out the best, most transparent way to move forward.
"We're just going to hit pause, and we're going to look and see if we can open this up and get a couple of new bids from some additional vendors in," Thompson said.
Thompson said it would be ideal if more body cameras were added by Thanksgiving, regardless of which vendor or option they choose.
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