Wenatchee Police Will Soon Be Equipped With Body Cameras

The City of Wenatchee will pay WatchGuard Video just over $281,000 for body cameras for its police department.

The five-year contract with WatchGuard Video will purchase 45 cameras, cloud-based data storage and management of video footage and digital services.

Chief Steve Crown said half the expense of the cameras will be covered by Senate Bill 5092, which includes money to defray costs associated with the state's new policing reform measures.

"I couldn't think of a better cost to cover with those funds." explained Crown, "About $141,000 came to the City, has already arrived and is in the general fund that has been slated for the purchase of these (cameras)."

Crown added that the cameras are a good, transparent tool for the department that can not only build public trust, but protect officers under Washington State's new policing laws.

The plan is to have all uniformed personnel equipped with the cameras by January 1st of 2022, the first day new laws on recording felony-related and juvenile-involved interviews go into effect.