Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres shows how an Axon camera can be attached to a shirt with a magnet mount during a news conference Thursday at the Naperville Police Department headquarters. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

Some Naperville officers will be sporting new body-worn cameras as early as Tuesday, according to the police chief.

Chief Jason Arres said the equipment to outfit all 177 of the department’s sworn officers arrived, and camera-maker Axon will be on-site next week for the technical setup and instruction to 20 officers, who then will train their coworkers in using the new devices.

“Right after they get that training and they go out — whether it’s in their beats, as detectives or any other job they serve here at the department — they will have the cameras on their persons,” Arres said.

Training sessions for the rest of the department starts May 31, with the goal of having the entire department, including the chief and deputy chiefs, fully equipped by the end of June.

The body-mounted cameras are easy to use, the chief said.

“I actually have already made a traffic stop with my body-worn camera video without in-depth training. That’s how simple these things are to use. I mean they really are,” he said.

The cameras can be clipped to an officer’s vest or belt or adhered to a shirt using a magnet.

The only stipulation, he said, is that it be worn on the outermost garment, such as a jacket in inclement weather.

Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres shows a smartphone app that can be paired with the new body-worn cameras to allow officers to review footage on the spot. Arres shared information during a news conference Thursday at the Naperville Police Department headquarters. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

The camera actively captures both audio and video when an officer taps the camera twice or activates a squad’s sirens and lights.

“It’s really when we’re springing into action or addressing a traffic violation or any type of police work, that would be where the cameras are on,” he said.

Activating the audio and video puts a protective shield or fence at the start and end of the video that is preserved and downloaded when docked at the charging station, Arres said.

The public needs to be aware, he said, that when they see an officer, chances are they are being recorded, but without audio.

When an officer is performing administrative duties, at a community meeting, or having a cup of coffee or lunch, the camera is constantly capturing just video in 720p, the chief said. Those recordings are on loop that gets overwritten every 18 hours.

“If I don’t dock my camera and I’m just working a continuous, let’s say, 24 straight hours, that circle overwrites everything except that video that has that protective fence around it,” he said.

The camera can be shut off, he said, if an officer enters a private space, such as a restroom or the department’s locker room.

Beyond using the camera footage to build cases, video will be used for training purposes to ensure officers are following best practices and to keep the public in check, Arres said.

The department has the ability to look at what it does well and what it can do better, he said.

In addition, citizens may be more restrained, knowing the camera is capturing their words and actions, Arres said.

Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres demonstrates how cameras are docked at the end of an officers shift during a news conference Thursday at the Naperville Police Department headquarters. Each of the 177 sworn officers will have their own dedicated camera. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

Another feature of the camera the ability for supervisors or the dispatch center to livestream any body-worn camera under specific circumstances, Arres said, such as critical incidents where an officer needs assistance or when an officer on a call does not respond to status checks.

“It’s like a guardian angel,” he said. “We’re able to be guardian angels for each other.”

The city’s policies governing the use of the cameras and the footage they capture are based heavily on the criminal justice reforms Illinois adopted last year.

“The law is a big driver. Illinois law dictates how and when we will record, how we will view,” Arres said.

The Naperville City Council authorized the purchase of body-worn and in-car dashboard cameras from Axon Enterprise for $2.26 million. The cost will be paid over five years, with $483,228 disbursed the first year and $443,602 annually the remaining four years.

In return, the city will have the latest models of the equipment on the market.

While the body cameras were in stock, supply chain issues are delaying the arrival of the 50 dashboard cameras for the patrol vehicles that work in tandem with the body cameras, Arres said.

While he was told to expect the dashcams in late 2022, he remains optimistic it could be sooner because the police department in neighboring Aurora is receiving its cameras earlier than projected, he said.

To assist residents and businesses, Naperville police will launch a series of videos online in the coming weeks to showcase its new officer body-worn camera system.

In addition, a list of frequently asked questions will be posted on the city’s website.