Starting Monday, all Schaumburg cops will wear cameras
Schaumburg police officers on Monday will join their counterparts in neighboring Hoffman Estates in early compliance with a requirement to use body-worn cameras in all public interactions.
Illinois will mandate such use of the cameras by law enforcement agencies serving populations of 50,000 to 100,000 residents on Jan. 1, 2024.
Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf said there clearly are recognizable benefits to the cameras, as well as being ahead of the mandate.
Not only was the department able to negotiate much better prices from the vendors, but also its personnel have come to understand and appreciate the protection these cameras can provide the public and themselves, he added.
"The body cameras have been very well-received by our officers," Wolf said. "They give them a sense of confidence that it will show they're doing the right thing."
Schaumburg's use of the cameras began with a trial period in which 10 power users became experts and a source of training and advice for their colleagues.
Though the public has become increasingly familiar with body-worn cameras and the roles they've played in police investigations, Wolf said it's important to remember they capture only one visual perspective and not the totality of factors that may be relevant to a complex situation.
Footage from the cameras is required to be saved for 90 days, but it could and would be flagged for longer storage if deemed to be evidence in a use-of-force investigation or other ongoing matter.
Wolf said less than 3% of arrests in Schaumburg involve even minimal use of force.
"We're very proud of the fact that we have well-trained officers who are practiced in de-escalation," he added.
If an active situation is identified, the officers' cameras can be livestreamed by the department's expanding Real-Time Information Center launched in November 2021.
Hoffman Estates began its full implementation of body-worn cameras in February. But Schaumburg's Real-Time Information Center and its ability to access the camera footage live likely makes it a pioneer in the entire region, Wolf said.
Illinois police departments serving populations of more than 500,000 were required to start using body-worn cameras in 2022, while the mandate for those serving populations of more than 100,000 began this past January.
All police departments in the state, regardless of the size of the population they serve, must be using the cameras by Jan. 1, 2025.