By Virginia Ransbottom
South Bend Tribune
PLYMOUTH, Ind. — The Plymouth Police Department needs to buy new video and audio recording equipment in order to satisfy requirements of a new state law.
Police Chief Jim Cox, in a report to the Board of Public Works, said the low bid for the recording equipment was under $7,000.
Cox said beginning Jan. 1, 2011, a statewide law on rules of evidence goes into effect requiring electronic recording of statements by persons charged with a felony.
“Otherwise the statement by a felon is not admissible in court,” said City Attorney Nelson Chipman. “It’s a trial rule.”
The quote for equipment by I.B.T. Video Systems based in Schererville, Ind., includes installing cameras in two investigator rooms and two interview rooms.
During public comments, patron Ryan Ripley asked if the police department could use the new videoconferencing equipment recently installed at the Marshall County Jail instead of investing in the same technology.
Cox said it would not be feasible to drive prisoners to the jail and wait in line for the video sentencing room.
“They’ll want to stay on their home turf,” said Mayor Mark Senter, speaking of the location where the person charged would be taken into custody.
According to the new trial law, audio-video recording in a felony criminal prosecution must include at least the visible images of the person being interviewed and voices of the person and the interrogating officers.
The Indiana Supreme Court’s order amending the rules of evidence says electronic recording of a custodial interrogation benefits all parties involved by minimizing disputes on differing recollections of events and relieving courts of the burden of resolving them.
The video/audio equipment will be purchased through the police department budget. Cox said the police department is also working through the budget process to get new video cameras in the cages of patrol cars.
Copyright 2010 South Bend Tribune Corporation