Body cams are welcome addition
As of this week, all Kalispell police officers will be equipped with one of the department’s new body cameras.
About the size of a cellphone, each camera is armed with high-quality optics, night-vision capabilities and several hours worth of storage for video. Officers can turn the camera on and off, but do not have the option to delete footage.
We’re glad to see this new technology at our local police department and foresee a number of benefits for the entire community.
Body cam footage can be used as a valuable resource in the prosecution of criminals, while also protecting both officers and the public. Instead of relying solely on written statements or witness accounts, a judge or jury can simply look at the tape for a more accurate record of events.
Video also brings the raw emotion of a situation into the courtroom, where police reports often come across as “sterile.” And as Deputy Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner notes, both prosecution and defense attorneys will benefit from this technology in determining how to tackle a case or whether to pursue charges.
For sure there are some concerns with body-worn cameras, including the effects these devices have on privacy and community relationships. But with clearly defined guidelines and proper training within the department, these cameras should prove to be a worthy asset to the public.
A passion for poetry
Long-time FVCC professor Lowell Jaeger has been named Montana’s seventh poet laureate, and we have no doubt that he will be a passionate advocate for poetry across the state.
Jaeger has brought out the best in literally generations of Flathead Valley writers, as he has combined the honest awe he has for the work of many of his students with a mildly ironic scolding he reserves for those who disappoint him.
Anyone who has taken a class from Jaeger has learned not just about poetry, but about themselves. As Jaeger told the Inter Lake, “Poetry is the voice of what it is to be human ... what’s there is important to everyone.”
Jaeger’s “Poetry 101” plan to hold 101 poetry events during his two-year term is ambitious and important. By visiting the many small towns across Montana unable to afford an institution like Flathead Valley Community College, Jaeger will be able to inspire thousands of people, young and old, to value their own story — and to vocalize it. We suspect it will also inspire Lowell to write about Montana and Montanans with even more passion than before. With any luck, we will be seeing a “Poetry 101” book at the end of the road.