NASHUA — Body-worn and cruiser-mounted cameras are making their debut on the streets of Nashua today, several months after the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to enter a 6-year, $1.83 million contract with the Decatur, Georgia-based firm Utility Inc.

The cameras, named “BodyWorn by Utility,” will be affixed to the uniforms of roughly 180 officers and mounted in 30 police vehicles, according to Chief Michael Carignan, who said he “welcomes the use of body-worn cameras by our officers.

“This program will bring enhanced transparency … it will ensure the highest level of accountability to Nashua citizens,” Carignan added.

Police and city officials began exploring available options for body-worn cameras a little more than a year ago. Once they determined “that Utility offered a device that best fit the needs of our department,” Carignan said, they brought the proposal to aldermen.

The board took up the matter at their July 13 meeting, and after brief discussion voted unanimously to award the contract to Utility.

The funding came from the police department and capital improvements fund, according to the minutes of the July meeting.

The cameras, Carignan said, have been embedded in the officers’ uniforms to prevent them from being detached.

The cameras feature technology that allows for automated recording triggers, which are designed to “remove the burden (to) the officer to activate the devices,” he added.

The automated recording feature activates the cameras in situations when an officer:

* Is within 500 feet of a dispatched call for service

* Draws their handgun from its holster

* Begins to run

* Engages in a “jostled” movement, such as a physical altercation

* Activates the police car’s emergency lights and/or siren

* Lies flat for 10 seconds. This feature, known as “officer down,” notifies all patrol officers that an officer is in need of immediate assistance.

Historically, body-worn cameras “have been shown to promote de-escalation by both law enforcement officers and people they encounter,” Carignan said, adding that cameras also “enhance the ability to resolve officer-involved incidents and complaints.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.