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Grant police officers now using body cameras

Posted at 4:49 PM, Dec 02, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-02 20:35:59-05

GRANT, Mich.  -- Police officers in Grant recently started wearing body cameras.

According to Bob Mendham, the police chief in Grant and White Cloud, the department started using the cameras about two weeks ago.

"We've been using them in White Cloud for the last six years, and they've just proven to be a very valuable tool," he said, "and when we came down to Grant, we thought we should get these working here as well."

Officers in both places use chest-mounted cameras with a 130-degree wide-angle lens.  The cameras have high-quality audio and video that are admissible in court, and a buffering system that reaches back 30 seconds before officers hit the 'Record' button.

Chief Mendham said that in light of recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, he believes body cameras will become standard in police departments across the country.

He said he's already used body camera video to discredit a minor complaint against the department.