The Youngsville Police Department is operating with new gear and software.
The department now has new dash and body cameras. Chief Rickey Boudreaux says it is a new way to keep the city safe.
“In an effort to keep up with the times, we purchased 21 in-car videos and body cam video systems,” Boudreaux said.
He says larger departments use systems like the one he purchased for his department, and citizen complaints have gone down in those places drastically. Boudreaux believed it was time to update the departments’ technology.
The dashcam video shows all the interactions between police officers and violators and other incidents that may occur.
The cameras allow officers to see everything around them, including the speed of cars in front and behind them. The system also checks the speed of the officer in case of any discrepancy. The video can be automatically transferred to a cloud or streamed live at any time.
“It was at no cost to the taxpayers. It was funded through the traffic enforcement program, so outside violators help pay for our new equipment,” Boudreaux said.
Every car and officer in the department is now equipped with the latest software. Boudreaux says this helps if a citizen complains or if something quickly needs to be sent to the district attorney. Officers within the department are excited about the change.
“Everything we do is now recorded. With the public sometimes giving bad complaints about officers, now, we have the ammunition to say, ‘Look, this didn’t happen. Maybe you want to think about it again.’ So, it’s kind of a win-win for both whether you’re doing wrong or right,” Officer Pedro Alexander said.
