By Amanda Raymond

amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com 

SPENCER — The push for body cameras has moved into Spencer.

At Spencer’s Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, the board accepted a $5,000 check from the Spencer Moose Lodge that was earmarked for Spencer’s Police Department.

The lodge wanted the money to go toward purchasing body cameras for Spencer’s police officers.

“We feel like we wanted to do something in the community,” Jim Zimmerman, an administrator for the lodge, said.

Zimmerman cited situations like the one in Chicago, where Officer Jason Van Dyke, a white officer, is being charged with first-degree murder after shooting Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old African American. In the video of the incident from the dashboard camera, Van Dyke is shown shooting McDonald while he was walking away. It took 13 months for the video to be released to the public.

Zimmerman said because of the push around the country for police officers to use body cameras, the lodge thought it was a good idea to help Spencer’s officers purchase some as well.

“We wanted to make sure there was safety in our community,” he said.

At the Salisbury City Council meeting on Dec. 1, the council approved the purchase of 60 Vista HD chest mount body cameras for the Salisbury Police Department.

And the Rowan County Sheriff’s office is planning to request body cameras as part of its 2016-2017 budget proposal.

First Sgt. Martin Brigman of the Spencer Police Department said although there is a pretty good relationship between officers and community members in Spencer, body cameras could help solidify that relationship.

“Us getting body cams is just to continue that relationship that we have with the community and the ongoing trust that they have in us,” he said.

Brigman said the department started looking into body cameras around a year ago.

The money from the Spencer Moose Lodge is from their Friday night bingo games. Zimmerman said the lodge likes to give back to the community and have donated funds to Moose International and Mooseheart Child City and School, a facility that cares for children when their families are unable to.

At the board meeting, Reid Walters, interim town manager, said he would look into extending the money further with grants and other funding.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.