Police outline capital needs: body cameras, in-house crash reconstruction and limits on black-box work

Denham Springs — Police department presenters told the finance committee they completed a recent body-camera purchase and described plans to bring crash-scene reconstruction and mapping software in-house while noting limits on reading vehicle "black box" data.

A presenter said the department had acquired new body cameras and planned lifecycle replacement on roughly a five-year schedule. "Brand new, the latest and greatest they had. They literally just came out when we got those," the presenter said.

On crash reconstruction, staff described software that would let investigators draw bird's-eye diagrams and manage scene data. The department said tapping that software and related mapping tools would let the city perform more reconstructions internally rather than rely on outside agencies; staff said the only remaining capability that likely would still be outsourced is reading the vehicle event data recorder (the black box), which a presenter said requires equipment quoted around $30,000.

The presenter told the committee the city could consider alternatives such as subscriptions or sending black-box data to partner agencies to be read, rather than buying the expensive reader outright. Staff also mentioned possible future investments in drones to support crash mapping and investigations if grant funds or leftover budget authority becomes available.

Committee members discussed vehicle fleet issues and increasing vehicle costs for replacements, and the presenter noted body armor donations from a law-enforcement foundation had helped cover costs while some city funding remains necessary for equipment renewals.

Why it matters: developing in-house crash reconstruction capacity could speed investigations and improve evidence for litigation and insurance claims, but the high cost of specialized equipment — and uncertain annual need for black-box reads — are major budget considerations.