Orange police officers will soon have body cameras in place. The department was approved by the board of finance on March 22 to move forward with the purchase of all the necessary equipment.
Orange Police Chief Robert Gagne informed the board that a grant would refund 100 percent of the cost of the cameras and related equipment. However, the town may not see that return until after the end of the fiscal year.
{{more}}
At a cost of $50,386.22 the town will receive 50 body cameras, 4 charging docks, a 12 terabyte hard drive and a new server. The drive and server will replace the current ones used for the existing patrol vehicle cameras while also handling the new body units.
Gagne noted the grant is set up for five years, which is the estimated lifespan of the cameras. He hopes to be able to continue to use the grant over that time period to get the town in the practice of replacing ten units a year. However, after the grant is gone that maintenance cost, at roughly $600 a camera, would fall on the town with no reimbursement.
“We will factor that into the operating budget when the time comes,” Gagne said.