New Albany Police officers now wearing body cameras as work progresses on new headquarters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police officers in New Albany are now wearing body cameras.

Wednesday, the city said the body cameras are now fully-implemented throughout the department.

Last year, Chief Todd Bailey said the body camera program would cost more than $700,000 spread out over five years. The city council approved funding for the program in 2022.

Bailey said the mandatory body-worn cameras will capture interactions between police officers and members of the public from the moment they begin. It's an effort to modernize the police department to emphasize trust and transparency.

"This new technology will allow us to better serve the public and will help improve safety for both our officers and the residents of our River City," Bailey said in a post on the city government's Facebook page.

The city also provided an update on the construction of the new, standalone police headquarters. It's being built just across the street from the current department at Scribner Drive and West Spring Street in downtown New Albany.

Crews broke ground back in October 2023 despite a petition to delay construction over concerns centered around the millions of dollars in funding needed for the project. But the effort fell short as the petition didn't have enough signatures. The city council approved the nearly $13 million project in a 6-2 vote January 2023. At the time, New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan said the construction of the station would not require new or raised taxes.

The police department rented space from Floyd County in the Criminal Justice Center on Hauss Square for three decades. Bailey said that location had become "too small to properly serve the needs of a modern police force," and a new headquarters will allow the department to "better train our officers, provide new services for the community, and increase our mental health and crisis response teams, among other benefits."

The new headquarters for the department will be the first standalone station in the city's history.

Bailey met with the construction team recently to see the progress and said it's moving along quickly.

"Not only will we save money in the long run for the people of New Albany, but the new headquarters will also allow for expanded training spaces to keep our officers at the top of their game," Bailey said, adding that the new space will allow the department to "improve and expand mental health response teams."

Construction on the new headquarters is expected to be finished in early 2025.

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