Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 21, 2022 City Announces Malden Police Body-Worn Camera program Advocate Staff Report M ayor Gary Christenson and Police Chief Glenn Cronin are pleased to announce a date for the implementation of the Malden Police Department’s Body-Worn Camera program. Officers are scheduled to begin wearing and utilizing bodyworn cameras on Monday, October 24. Officers will be recording interactions with citizens during dispatched calls for service as well as during officer-initiated events, such as traffic stops and field encounters, and during the service of court orders. Footage recorded by officers will be retained in a cloud-based storage system on a specified retention schedule. All requests for copies of body-worn camera footage will be subject to Massachusetts Public Records Law. In 2021 the implementation of body-worn cameras was mutually agreed upon by both the City of Malden and its police officers. That agreement represents the strong commitment by the Mayor and the Malden Police Department (MPD) in using all available tools and resources to keep our community and our police officers safe in a way that is fair, impartial and transparent. The MPD applied for a body-worn camera grant and was awarded $95,024 to initiate, acquire and implement a bodyworn camera program. To qualMalden and Medford Join Bluebikes, Metro Boston’s Public Bike Share System Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Malden The Axon Battery Camera 3 ify for the grant, the MPD submitted a comprehensive deployment plan that described a deliberate and phased plan to deploy technology as well as specific ways the program will enhance the department’s mission. In early 2022, the City signed a contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. and purchased Axon Body 3 cameras along with requisite licensing and storage. During the last several months, the department has been working diligently to develop policy, update technology infrastructure and train department personnel, all of which has led to the upcoming implementation. The department also created a Video Evidence Unit, the assigned officers of which will be responsible for maintaining the body-worn camera equipment, software and cloud-based storage system as well as for responding to requests for copies of footage. The MPD is proud to be the first agency in Middlesex County to implement an Axon bodyworn camera program. M City Councilor Stephen Winslow joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Lyft for celebratory event EDFORD - The Cities of Medford and Malden this week announced they will be joining Bluebikes, Metro Boston’s public bike share system. By adding a total of six new stations across the two cities, Medford and Malden will build on the expansion of the Bluebikes system. These cities join Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville, and Watertown, offering 447 total stations and approximately 4,000 total bikes across the region. The new stations offer more opportunity for residents, students, workers, and visitors to experience the healthy, fun, and sustainable way of traveling via Bluebikes. The Bluebikes system is jointly owned by the municipalities and is operated by Lyft. Blue Cross, which is providing financial support for the launch in Medford and Malden, is in the fifth year of a six-year Bluebikes title sponsorship, which launched in May 2018. This morning, Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Malden City Councilor Stephen Winslow, executives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”), including Vice President of Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs Jeff Bellows, Senior Director of Social Impact and Citizenship Yvonne Tang, Account Executive Helga DaRosa, and Director of Municipal Sales Bob Knowles, along with leadership from Lyft, gathered for a ribbon-cutting event in Medford’s Tufts Park to commemorate the expansions. “Introducing access to Bluebikes in Medford helps further connect our city and makes biking a feasible way to reach neighborhoods and destinations in Medford and across the region,” said Mayor Lungo-Koehn. “With four stations now located throughout Medford, we’ve expanded green public transportation options for our residents, students, workers, and visitors while also promoting sustainable forms of transit and reducing our reliance on passenger vehicles. Thanks to Blue Cross, our local partners, and the City of Malden for helping make this an easy and seamless process to incorporate the bike share system into our city a reality.” “We are proud to partner with the Bluebikes program, which increases our Malden community’s access to biking as a healthy and environmentally friendly way to travel,” said Malden’s Mayor Gary Christenson. “I am particularly grateful for Blue Cross and Lyft’s role in making Malden a more bike-friendly city, enabling other safe and sustainable modes of transportation for our many commuters who cannot always rely on travel by car or other forms of public transit.” With the Bluebikes system expanding to two new cities, approximately 36 new bikes have been added throughout Medford and Malden. Both cities received a joint grant from the Boston MPO’s Community Connections Grant Program (through MAPC) to help fund the bikes. The new stations can be found at the following locations: Malden: • Malden Center T Station • Northern Strand at Main St. • Malden High School Medford: • Tufts Square • Brooks Park (at Main St) • Medford Square To see a full Bluebikes station map – including all stations in Medford and Malden – please visit member.bluebikes.com/ map. “Through our ongoing title sponsorship of Bluebikes, we’re committed to making it easier for more individuals in the Greater Metro Boston Area to experience the benefits of public bike share,” said Bellows. “With the success of adding Medford and Malden and their six new stations to our Bluebikes network, we're excited to help broaden access to the bikeshare system across these cities and to support residents, students and visitors looking to lead healthy and sustainable lifestyles." As a publicly owned bike share system, Bluebikes preserves and promotes equity of access for members and ensures that memberships remain affordable. The station-based system promotes riding and commuting across city lines, preserves predictability and management for the public right of way, and allows for the continuous monitoring of bike availability and maintenance needs. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to promote the health and wellness of Massachusetts communities by supporting system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades, and additional bikes. Riders can purchase annual Bluebikes memberships – which include unlimited 45-minute rides – for $119 a year or $26.75 for 30 days. A discount program, where annual passes are $50 and 30-day passes are available for $5, is available for residents with eligible incomes. Visit www.bluebikes.com for more information on the Bluebikes income-eligible program.
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