1-26-21 waupun police department to get body cameras

Given everything that happened across the country last year, including the police shooting in Kenosha, the Waupun Police Chief says he’s looking forward to equipping his department with body cameras.   Last fall the Waupun Common Council approved funding to purchase up to 13 body cameras for the department.  Police Chief Scott Louden says he is currently working on developing policies around how the body cameras will be used.   Departments acquire the cameras for a number of reasons.   Some departments want to improve officer accountability and community relations.   Others may get them to improve evidence quality or make cases easier to prosecute.   Louden says for his department its all of the above.  Louden says the department is working with a vendor and hopes to be able to decide what cameras to purchase next month.  More than a third of Wisconsin law enforcement agencies that responded to a new survey said they don’t use body cameras.