Body cameras capture positive reviews with Greenfield police officers

It’s been almost six months since the Greenfield PoliceDepartment deployed body cameras on all of its patrol officers, and so far, the cameras have done more than just keep police in check.

On Monday, officers responded to a call of a man in distress causing a problem outside of his home. But when officers arrived on scene, and slid open their cameras, almost immediately, the man calmed down and went back inside.

“When they notice that we’re filming back, it just kind of defuses some of the aggression they have towards us,” said Officer Arnulfo Trevino, with the Greenfield Police Department.

Trevino is patrolling the streets on a Monday night in Greenfield, but he’s not alone. Attached to his uniform is a body camera, acting as a portable witness.

“They’re a safeguard in protecting us and the community,” said Trevino.

In the nearly six months since the Greenfield Police Department got body cameras, so far officers, like Trevino, said they like having the extra set of eyes.

“People have a tendency to really look at the camera, think about what they’re going to say. Because when it comes to court or the district attorney or the judge is requesting video, it’s going to tell the story as it happened,” said Trevino.

The added equipment also took some getting used to.

“We don’t think about turning on our cameras when we get out of the vehicle, we just want to handle the situation as it occurs. We have to be mindful of that and hopefully catch the incident on video,” said Trevino.

But overall the department said officers are adjusting to the cameras.

“They make comments to us during briefing, you know, can you check my camera is working OK? It’s really part of their, you know, 24/7 equipment,” said Cmdr. Fred Perez.

Equipment that sometime down the line could prove vital in an investigation.