The Pennsylvania State Police are three weeks into a pilot program for state troopers in Troop H, in Carlisle to wear body cameras.

The proposed plan is for troopers at all 87 patrol stations statewide to wear body cameras.

This is new for the state police but not in law enforcement where many local police officers have been wearing body cameras for years. Lt. Adam Reed, Director, Communications Office, Pennsylvania State Police said on Monday's The Spark that cost if the reason state police have not implemented body cameras up until now. He added that $21 million has been budgeted over the next five years for the cameras and infrastructure.

Reed indicated the pilot program in Carlisle is expected to last from 60 to 90 days. After that, some 4,700 troopers may be using the body cameras for investigations, training or in the case when a citizen makes a complaint against police.

On another topic, nine people were killed in three separate crashes on Interstate 81 last week. Accidents on I-81 occur on a daily basis. Lt. was asked why there are so many,"A lot of it has to do with sheer volume on that roadway. Anyone that has traveled or travels that on a regular basis could really attest to just the volume of traffic that seems to be there at all hours of the day."

Reed said most of the crashes are due to speed or motorists driving too fast for conditions.

I-81 has a lot of truck traffic which adds to the volume, but Reed said drivers just have to be careful when they're on the road,"If you travel those interstates here in the area on a regular basis, be mindful of trucks. Don't make sudden lane changes and be sure that the driver could see you if you're changing lanes. If you're following the truck, increase your following distance behind the truck -- certainly don't tailgate because the driver of that tractor trailer probably can't see you if you're too close to that truck and certainly slow down. Also, it's important, it seems like common sense, but common sense isn't so common sometimes. Limit distractions, put down your cell phone, really focus at the task at hand."

The Pennsylvania State Police are three weeks into a pilot program for state troopers in Troop H, in Carlisle to wear body cameras.
The proposed plan is for troopers at all 87 patrol stations statewide to wear body cameras.
This is new for the state police but not in law enforcement where many local police officers have been wearing body cameras for years. Lt. Adam Reed, Director, Communications Office, Pennsylvania State Police said on Monday's The Spark that cost if the reason state police have not implemented body cameras up until now. He added that $21 million has been budgeted over the next five years for the cameras and infrastructure.
Reed indicated the pilot program in Carlisle is expected to last from 60 to 90 days. After that, some 4,700 troopers may be using the body cameras for investigations, training or in the case when a citizen makes a complaint against police.
On another topic, nine people were killed in three separate crashes on Interstate 81 last week. Accidents on I-81 occur on a daily basis. Lt. was asked why there are so many,"A lot of it has to do with sheer volume on that roadway. Anyone that has traveled or travels that on a regular basis could really attest to just the volume of traffic that seems to be there at all hours of the day."
Reed said most of the crashes are due to speed or motorists driving too fast for conditions.
I-81 has a lot of truck traffic which adds to the volume, but Reed said drivers just have to be careful when they're on the road,"If you travel those interstates here in the area on a regular basis, be mindful of trucks. Don't make sudden lane changes and be sure that the driver could see you if you're changing lanes. If you're following the truck, increase your following distance behind the truck -- certainly don't tailgate because the driver of that tractor trailer probably can't see you if you're too close to that truck and certainly slow down. Also, it's important, it seems like common sense, but common sense isn't so common sometimes. Limit distractions, put down your cell phone, really focus at the task at hand."

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at&nbsp;<a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.