Officers with the Rupert Police Department will now be wearing body cameras to increase safety for citizens and promote transparency from the department.
The Rupert Town Council approved the purchase of four new body cameras during their September meeting, according to Town Clerk Valerie Currence. The price for each camera was $120. Since the purchase, the cameras have arrived and are being put to use.
“Every officer, including myself, wears the body cam,” said Rupert Police Chief Chuck Burkhamer. Each officer will be required to activate the camera anytime contact is made with a citizen, he continued. Also, the cameras can be activated in special circumstances, such as if an officer enters an abandoned house to conduct a check.
“It’s to protect us and the citizens as well,” Burkhamer said of the cameras.
In other police department news, Devin Johnson has been welcomed as a certified part-time officer. In addition to serving those in Rupert, Johnson is employed by the Alderson Police Department and brings with him about three years of experience, Burkhamer said. Johnson is also a K-9 handler.
In his first two days of employment with Rupert, Johnson “brought drugs off the street both nights,” Burkhamer said.
With the addition of Johnson, the department employs four officers, including the Chief.
