Alaska State Troopers, Wildlife Troopers and Court Services Officers based in Soldotna and Anchor Point will be among those beginning to wear cameras this week as the Department of Public Safety begins to deploy the technology in the state.
The “limited deployment” of the cameras was announced by the department Monday — Soldotna and Anchor Point joining Anchorage, Cantwell, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak and the Matanuska-Susitna region.
According to a release by the department, the road to using the cameras began in July 2022, when the department was awarded $3.6 million in state funding and nearly $1 million in federal funding to roll out cameras. The Motorola V300 body-worn camera was selected by the department later that year.
Though this week’s launch is limited to 30 people across a selection of communities, the release says that ultimately every trooper, marshal and officer under the department will be issued a camera during a “full-deployment” later this year.
“Body-worn cameras are a vital tool in modern day policing and will be an asset to our Troopers, Officers, and the public that we serve. While there are still a few hurdles left to work through for the full deployment, I am confident that we will continue to move forward,” Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell said in the release.
For more information, including a newly finalized policy governing the use of cameras and other recorders by the department, visit dps.alaska.gov/bodycam.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
