Medora police cars may get cameras

MEDORA — Town council members approved a plan this week that may eventually put video cameras in town police cars.

“Everyone knows we have a drug problem here in town,” Reserve Officer Brad Barker told the council during their meeting Monday at town hall.

Barker said he recently made a drug arrest during a traffic stop, but the prosecutor dismissed the case because the traffic stop couldn’t be justified by the evidence.

Barker said he believes a video camera might have provided enough evidence to justify the stop.

He said in 2011 the state is going to require that all conversations with individuals who are arrested be backed up by video and audio evidence.

Town attorney Mark Risser said video and audio evidence protects officers against accusations of misconduct and gives Town Marshal Steve Ingle something to review in the event of accusations against an officer.

Barker said he had obtained a price of $1,895 for video cameras now used by Brownstown and Jackson County officers.

Barker, who installs equipment on police vehicles, said the estimate he has is low and that many systems run in the area of $3,000. He also said he would install cameras in Medora’s two police cars at no cost to the town.

He said Brownstown’s equipment was purchased with the help of a grant from the Jackson County Drug Free Council and he would like to see about pursuing a similar grant.

“I think it would be worth looking into,” council President Jim Davers said.