BUTLER TOWNSHIP-- Police in Butler Township near Hazleton have cameras on the dashboards of their squad cars.
Supervisor Dr. Frank Polidora said the devices are a help in enforcing the law effectively.
"I want justice. The more information you have, the more likely you are to have justice," Polidora said.
The retired surgeon sees police body cameras as the next step, and said the police chief and other supervisors hope to find room for them in the upcoming budget.
"I don't think there are any of the policemen here that are against it. They realize it is for their benefit and the public's benefit. They realize it is like a surgeon wearing a mask in the OR."
According to Polidora, while his community in Luzerne County may be more rural than Ferguson or New York City, police still face difficult situations.
"The interstates come through here, we have people from coming from New York and Philadelphia and other places," Polidora said. "They were called out to a situation where a man had a rifle and it was loaded."
Annemarie Corrado said, if she were asked to wear a camera at her job, she would. "I would be fine with it. I am a teacher and I think it would be a great idea."
Other residents we spoke with also supported the idea.
Joseph Dinarsky said, "If they have something that would record their audio and video, they would be more likely to do their job more professionally."
"They would have big brother watching them. Everyone else has them watching them, so they may as well, too," Clifford Minnig said.
The cameras under consideration cost about $400 each.
Butler Township supervisors plan to discuss the purchase at their next meeting, which is on Tuesday.
The proposal is expected to be approved by January, if not sooner.
