West Fargo Police Department begins testing phase for body worn cameras

(West Fargo, ND) -- The West Fargo Police Department has begun testing WatchGuard body worn cameras on an initial group of officers to enhance policing best practices and reinforce community trust and transparency.

“Our officers serve the community of West Fargo with great pride and professionalism,” said Chief Denis Otterness in a statement released to WDAY Radio. “Providing our officers with technology and tools like body worn cameras support their great work and strengthens our relationships with the public.”

This testing phase of body worn cameras is the first step towards department wide implementation and allows for an effective program roll out to impacted personnel. Motorola Solution’s WatchGuard system has been selected for the testing phase as the program is cost-effective due to the compatibility with the department’s current in-car and interview room camera systems. Motorola Solution’s WatchGuard is a leading provider in the body camera industry and is used widely throughout the law enforcement community.

A final selection of a vendor and services will be reviewed following the testing phase. Body worn cameras will be evaluated on functionality, wear ability and durability.

The West Fargo Police Departments expects to deploy approximately 80 body worn cameras by the end of 2023. All sworn Police Officers and Community Service Officers will be equipped with body worn cameras. An additional civilian staff position will be added to manage software and storage of the body worn camera footage.