Cape PD seeking $700K to extend body cam usage

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- After nearly a year of Cape Coral police officers using body cameras, the department is asking for $700,000 to upgrade its equipment.

CCPD is looking to buy more cameras for officers as well as unlimited video storage, something police say has become vital to those on duty.

“People are expecting since they have an high-definition camcorder in their pocket and they can pull it out and record anywhere they’re at, they’re expecting their police officers to have that same capability,” said Sgt. Dana Coston with CCPD.

Body cameras on officers can record the interaction between authorities and civilians while they’re on duty.

“That lets us see what is happening as close to the point of view of the officer as you an possibly get,” Coston said.

Each camera costs about $500. The department only has about 60 cameras currently, so not every officer is equipped with one.

Coston says the officers that do wear a camera have a clear advantage, “it is a great tool for us to be able to utilize in terms of evidence collection, and it provides us with just one more tool in our arsenal in order to build cases for successful prosecution.”

The Cape Coral City Council will discuss spending the money on Monday.