Body cams are good training tool

PENDLETON – The Pendleton Police Department has been using body cameras since January 2020. Chief Chuck Byram said they have become an essential part of the uniform.

“What these cameras have done is they’ve added a level of transparency and legitimacy that everybody’s screaming for, including the police department,” Byram said.

While he sees the cameras as necessary for the safety of both the citizens and the officers, he said there’s another benefit as well – that of a training tool.

“We have young officers that are still learning how to do the job,” he said. “By us being able to review that video footage, we can give them tips and tools to doing their jobs.”

The grant for the body cameras expires at the end of December. Byram said he wants to keep the cameras, making their upkeep part of his department’s budget.

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Elkhorn Media Group

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