Hartford Police Add 150 New Body Worn Cameras

Published on October 05, 2021

HARTFORD, CONN (October 5, 2021) – Today the Hartford Police Department announced that has expanded its use of body-worn cameras, adding 150 new cameras. This is the most recent step in a rollout that began in 2019, when Hartford purchased 325 body worn cameras and ran a successful pilot phase, followed by a broader deployment.  These new 150 body cameras cost approximately $200,000 with another $175,000 in licensing and cloud storage costs, paid for with City funds.

“The Hartford Police Department’s use of body-worn cameras has been a resounding success, and I am proud to say that we have now deployed an additional 150 cameras,” said Mayor Luke Bronin.  “Body-worn cameras promote transparency and reinforce trust between residents and law enforcement, protecting officers and the community alike.  I want to thank Chief Thody and the entire Hartford Police Department for their commitment to run a department with transparency, accountability, and integrity.  We will continue to work with Chief Thody and the City Council to find more innovative ways to improve public safety with community policing measures that are proven to work.”

“Public trust and public safety go hand in hand,” said Police Chief Jason Thody.  “Two and a half years after implementing our body-worn cameras, we have learned a great deal about how to most effectively use this tool, and we have seen the value of these cameras again and again.  Now, we have cameras for every officer.  My team is fully committed to a police department that serves and protects the people of Hartford, and I’m grateful to Mayor Bronin and the City Council for their support and for making sure that these body-worn cameras are used in a way that promotes safety and trust.”

“Body-worn cameras work,” said City Council President Maly D. Rosado.  “They protect our community, but they also help our officers.  Hartford residents have spoken out for years in favor of body-worn cameras, and I’m proud of the work that the City Council did to make this happen. I want to thank Mayor Bronin for his leadership and Chief Thody for being a steadfast supporter of this measure.  Hartford is grateful for this expansion and I hope this continues to improve police-community relations.”

“I have always supported body cameras, as it brings a stronger level of transparency and protection for both our residents and officers,” said City Councilman James Sanchez, Co-Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee.  “It helps substantiate cases of falsification and helps create a time line towards investigations and interactions within the community that will help in identifying solutions towards community engagement and de-escalation training.  I’m grateful that Mayor Bronin, Chief Thody and the Command Staff, and HPD Union were able to move forward with these most important improvements and technology.”

“Body cameras have been proven to serve the best interests of the community and police officers,” said City Council Majority Leader Thomas “TJ” Clarke, Co-Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee.  “In Hartford and across the country, we’ve seen time and again their value to promote transparency and accountability. I was proud to work with the Mayor, Police Department, and my Council colleagues to get the first round of body cameras several years ago, and this expansion will further enhance public safety and public trust.”

Tagged as: