All Pennsylvania state troopers assigned to Troop K are now outfitted with body-worn cameras.
The state police announced this week that troopers in Delaware, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties are wearing body-worn cameras as well as having updated mobile video recorders in their patrol vehicles.
The deployment of cameras was praised by the mother of Anthony Allegrini Jr., who was shot dead last year in Philadelphia by a trooper. The Allegrini family of Glen Mills believes a body camera would have helped the investigation, which is now nearly 11 months old without an apparent resolution.
State police in a press release said they expedited the rollout of the cameras to the Philadelphia region and completed the project with Troop K ahead of schedule.
Troopers in 19 of the 67 counties have successfully implemented body-worn cameras, the agency said.
Officials expect to fully implement the cameras and updated mobile video recorders at all of the troops by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
“The Pennsylvania State Police is committed to increasing the public’s trust in law enforcement, and these cameras are an important part of that,” said Col. Christopher Paris, state police commissioner. “The use of body-worn cameras demonstrates our commitment to ensuring police interactions are respectful and constitutional. The cameras also provide concise capture of evidence in criminal cases and enhance our training opportunities.”
Patrol vehicles received cameras 20 years ago, but the dash-mounted cameras have a limited view of events, recording only incidents in front of the patrol vehicle.
The enhanced mobile video recorders provide a wider view of events, and cameras worn by troopers can capture video and audio of public interactions and calls for service, even if troopers are away from their vehicle.
The department entered into a five-year contract, with an option for renewals, with Arizona-based Axon to provide the cameras, as well as the necessary software and infrastructure.
Trooper First Class Michele Naab, community service officer in the Media station, said officers are happy with the new tools.
The new cameras are synced with the computer and two cameras in the patrol vehicle. There is a camera in the front windshield as well as a camera pointing toward the back seat.
Naab said the camera in the car goes on when the emergency lights in the car are activated.
With the cameras integrated, troopers can sit in their vehicles and review video in real time.
Naab said all 45 vehicles and the approximately 60 Media-based troopers are fully equipped with the system.
Troopers can charge the cameras in the office or at home.
Mother speaks
For Jennifer Allegrini, whose son, Anthony Jr., 18, who was shot on Interstate 95 by a trooper in early June, the news of the cameras was welcome.
“It is 11 months too late to save Anthony, but a step in the right direction,” Allegrini said on Wednesday. “We hope this is the start of the PA State Troopers being held accountable for their actions.”
The shooting happened after troopers were called about 3:30 a.m. on June 4 for reports that drag racing was blocking Interstate 95 near Penn’s Landing.
When troopers arrived, a large group of vehicles — some whose occupants were participating, others watching — were blocking the road.
After the shooting, state police issued a press release that said as troopers attempted to contact one vehicle — a 2019 Audi, Anthony Allegrini Jr.’s car — but it hit two troopers when the driver failed to yield. One trooper fired a shot, which struck and fatally injured Allegrini, who was driving the Audi, state police said.
Later in June, a video was circulating on social media that appeared to be taken from a passenger in a passing car, purported to show the aftermath of the shooting with Anthony Allegrini Jr. writhing on the ground near a state police vehicle. The driver asks the officer why he shot the male and the trooper turns and draws on the driver, who pulls away. The short video ends there.
The family also contends that the victim was not a part of the racing but was there as a spectator.
The implementation of the body-worn cameras has drawn praise from legislators.
“This is pivotal step forward in enhancing transparency and accountability within our law enforcement agencies,” said state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia. “The commitment fulfilled by the Pennsylvania State Police to equip all officers of Troop K with body cameras is not just a response to a single incident; it is a response to the call from our communities for greater oversight and trust. These cameras are a vital tool in protecting both our citizens and our officers, providing clear and objective accounts of interactions. I commend Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania State Police for their leadership and dedication to this crucial initiative.”
