After an extended testing phase, every member of the Jackson Township Police Department will soon be equipped with body-worn cameras.

Township supervisors, during a meeting on Thursday, June 19, approved a long-term contract with Utility Inc. for the purchase of 11 body-worn cameras, ensuring all 13 officers will have one moving forward.

The new five-year contract, which includes in-car camera systems, is worth $35,000 per year.

It clears the way for officers to have their own camera at all times.

“It was essential that each officer has access to one rather than try to rotate them between shifts,” township manager Chris Rearick said. “As the department tested them, they found that it was important that we add enough so that each officer has one at any given time.”

Rearick also noted that the package includes full-scale maintenance and tech support for each of the cameras. Additionally, as the township updates its fleet of vehicles in the coming years, the contract will cover those changes.

“It’s a comprehensive package so as we purchase new vehicles, we would maintain the same number of cameras,” he said.

The township joins a bevy of other municipalities across the state that are focused on improving transparency.

Back in April, state police announced that patrol troopers at every station statewide are equipped with body-worn cameras to record interactions with the public.

According to a prior news release, the agency said it completed the rollout of the cameras — along with upgrades to mobile video recorders in patrol vehicles — several weeks ahead of schedule.