There is no doubt that body cameras and live streaming video has helped with officer and civilian safety. Body cams are starting to play a significant role in how we investigate crime and this method is growing at a rapid pace. In today’s world, having a video camera in your pocket at all times is the norm so even civilian videos need to be stored for evidence. Both small and large agencies around the country need to be prepared for large costs of implementing cameras on officers. Cameras alone are expensive, although, the real costs occur within the IT infrastructure needed to store, protect and backup these large files once produced.

Once an agency deploys body cams and dashboard cams, regardless of cost, there is no going back. Agencies need a plan to mitigate these substantial costs allocated with this endeavor since storing your video evidence could cost up to $2 million annually. This can be even higher depending on the retention settings owing to situations when they are evidentiary material, although this is not highly publicized and varies by agencies. The retention can be still higher for materials that entered into evidence and this has a significant impact on cost, security, management & compliance.

How are you storing the data, local servers or cloud servers? Do you have the IT staff to maintain these servers and the technology to keep your data secured, backed up, and completely protected? If you don’t have the IT staff to help you implement the proper technologies and assist with strategic direction, maybe it’s time to partner with a company who has supported over 500 agencies with IT projects.

You need a partner that has experience working with the public safety sector to help navigate these IT projects. We act as an extension of your IT team and will help you implement a solution at an affordable price. Solutions II is nationally recognized for world class innovation in data life cycle management and backup & recovery to keep your agency “Performing Ahead of the Curve.”