SMITHFIELD – Police Chief Pete Hedrick says all officers on the force are now equipped with body cameras. Chief Hedrick made the announcement during the Jan. 7 meeting of the Smithfield Town Council.
“We are excited to have this technology that will improve our service to the community,” Hedrick said. “We will be better able to ensure that our officers are doing the right things and just as importantly it will help strengthen our cases for court.”
Added benefits of the new cameras include “real time” tracking of the exact location of officers. The cameras also have a cell phone feature, so if the police two-way radio doesn’t work the device can be used as a backup method to contact officers.
The body cameras were funded by a $124,000 federal grant awarded to the Smithfield Police Department in 2024.
