Wendell police outline new Axon body‑worn camera program; release governed by state law

Chief John Slaughter presented the Wendell Police Department’s proposed body‑worn camera (BWC) program to the Town Board on Jan. 27, describing equipment selection, operating policy highlights, training plans and next steps for deployment.

Slaughter said the department budgeted funds in the FY25 budget to purchase Axon body cameras and that the town also received grant funding to offset program costs. He described the Axon devices as compatible with the Evidence.com system used by the Wake County district attorney’s office and said the cameras will complement existing in‑car video and improve documentation of officer contacts away from the patrol vehicle.

Key policy points Slaughter described: officers will test body cameras at shift start, the cameras should be used for virtually all citizen contacts and remain recording until the officer has left the scene, supervisors will conduct quarterly substantive reviews of footage (three in‑car and three body‑camera recordings per quarter) as part of training and quality assurance, and equipment will be wirelessly downloaded via in‑car MiFi or by docking stations at the department. The records and evidence manager will be responsible for submitting video for court evidence; supervisors will have access to officers’ footage for reviews, while officers can play back only their own videos.

On public release, Slaughter told the board there is a state law process governing access to body‑worn camera footage: members of the public generally must pursue a court order or subpoena for release, and material needed for prosecution is provided through the normal subpoena process. He added that in high‑profile circumstances — for example an officer‑involved shooting — the town manager and legal counsel could pursue judicial review and other steps to authorize release if it is in the public interest. Board members were told the department will follow federal and state privacy rules (e.g., HIPAA) when patients or medical‑privacy issues arise.

Slaughter also described anticipated benefits: recorded evidence for prosecutions and probable‑cause development, training material to correct or reinforce officer actions, faster evidence transfer to prosecutors via Evidence.com (avoiding DVDs), and potential future productivity tools (Axon features that transcribe interactions and may reduce reporting time). He noted the department is exploring switching in‑car cameras to Axon as well and that any in‑car change would be contingent on funding and replacement schedules.

The board asked about public‑access procedures and whether anyone could request footage directly; Slaughter reiterated the state‑law and subpoena processes. Commissioners and staff also discussed routine supervisory review schedules, handling of longer multi‑hour events, and equipment redundancy (spare cameras for officers). No formal board action was taken at the presentation; staff said a policy and training schedule will be finalized prior to deployment and officers will not receive cameras until they have been trained and have signed required policy acknowledgements.