It could be a while before it reaches Warren County, but state police body cameras are coming.

According to an Aug. 7 Pennsylvania State Police release, PSP Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris has announced a pilot program “to ensure department readiness for implementing body-worn cameras” will commence through Troop H, Carlisle. However, the 60-day pilot program is intended to prepare state police to implement body cameras at all 87 stations statewide.

“The public rightfully expects their interactions with police be safe, respectful, and constitutional, and I believe the use of body-worn cameras demonstrates that the Pennsylvania State Police is committed to providing faithful and honest law enforcement services,” Paris said in the release. “In addition to providing transparency and accountability, body-worn cameras document evidence in criminal cases and present opportunities to enhance training, just like the mobile video recording cameras we began using in patrol cars two decades ago.”

State Sen. Scott Hutchinson expressed his support for the measure when contacted Tuesday.

“I’m fully supportive of it,” he said. “It’s mostly a safety issue… for all parties.”

Spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania Andy Hoover said the cameras are only one necessary step and how the program is handled will impact its effectiveness.

“Body-worn cameras don’t solve the problem of police abuse of people. There have been plenty of cases in which police were captured on camera harming people and still escaped accountability,” Hoover said. “So how this program is implemented is important. Will the public have access to the video, or will PSP be able to pick and choose what is and is not released? If PSP is committed to transparency, it can’t just be lip service. They need to release as much information as possible, including police-produced video, when there is a dispute or violent conflict involving a trooper.”

The pilot program will utilize a “shared service model” to keep costs down, according to the release. Troopers will share cameras between shifts.

The pilot program “allows the department to determine best practices and policies and identify any needs for additional equipment or software features,” according to the release.

“We have to be prudent about how it’s used,” Hutchinson noted. “I’m sure the state police will be. That’s why they’re doing the pilot program.”

According to the release, cameras and software will be provided through a five-year contract PSP has entered into with Arizona-based company Axion.