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Police Cameras Will Patrol Lahaina’s Halloween

Nick Yee
Nick Yee

Halloween night is less than a week away—it’s this coming Saturday.  On Maui, that means the annual event on Front Street in Lahaina.  And while it’s a family friendly event, as the night wears on it can get a bit rowdy.  So police will be on hand---and this year some will be wearing cameras. Eileen Chao has more from the Maui News.

Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu introduced the idea of police body cameras earlier this year. He says the technology can help protect both officers and civilians by holding them accountable for their actions.

Ten police officers volunteered to wear cameras as part of a pilot project in April. Officers from the Wailuku, Kihei and Lahaina patrol divisions wore body cameras for a month while on patrol. The cameras were either clipped to the front of the police uniform, or attached to certain sunglasses.

Similar devices will be deployed on Halloween night, as police prepare to keep the peace among a crowd expected to reach nearly thirty thousand people.

The police department is still in the process of testing and evaluating the cameras, but the chief has said he want to buy at least 125 cameras that will “cover our front-line officers on patrol.”  Part of the costs of the cameras will be covered by a 78-thousand dollar grant from the Department of Justice.

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