Community Input Is Needed On IMPD Body Camera Pilot

Residents are encouraged to participate in a survey about Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s body-worn camera pilot program.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and IMPD Chief Bryan Roach announced the start of a study earlier this month involving the possibility of bringing the cameras to Indianapolis.  IUPUI is administering a web-based survey.

Jeremy Carter, director of criminal justice and public safety and associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, says they will gather input on the community’s attitudes, expectations and concerns for the program.

“It’s a survey link that’s completely anonymous, it’s security compliant, all those things, no one can tell who responds or says what," says Carter. 

Carter says the question is not whether police body cameras are a good tool, but rather how the technology can be implemented that meets expectations, while balancing cost and privacy concerns.

This will be a second, larger pilot of body worn camera technology within IMPD. Prohibitive costs, outdated technology infrastructure, a small sample size, as well as a lack of community buy-in were cited when a 2014 pilot did not result in the development of a permanent program.

Residents can access the survey here

IMPD is also hosting a series of community listening sessions starting next week to gather feedback.

• Southeast District
  March 4, 6 p.m.
  Southeast Community Services, 901 Shelby St.
   
• Downtown District
  March 5, 5:30 p.m.
  City Way YMCA, 430 S. Alabama St.
   
• Northwest District
  March 7, 6 p.m.
  International Market Coalition
  3685 Commercial Drive
   
• Southwest District
  March 11, 6 p.m.
  Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
  1301 Goodlet Ave.
   
• North District
  March 12, 7 p.m.
  Zion Hope Baptist Church
  5950 E. 46th St.
   
• East District
  March 14, 6 p.m.
  Eastern Start Baptist Church, J229 – 2nd Floor of Jewel Conference Center, use north entrance
  5750 E 30th St.