Camera System Coming to OPD

The Olney Police Department will soon add a camera and audio recording system outside its new station to provide a safe location for custody exchanges and similar high-conflict interactions.

Police Chief Dan Birbeck told the Olney Enterprise that the system will be installed at the front of the police station, allowing individuals to complete handoffs without entering the building. The site will be equipped with high-resolution cameras and directional microphones to capture both video and audio of all exchanges.

Chief Birbeck said he is working with County Commissioner Stacy Creswell to implement the system, which is modeled after a similar “Safe Child Exchange” site at the county jail in Graham. “Everything will be recorded,” he said. “It’s a way to keep these interactions safe and accountable.”