Justice Dept. Will Help Police Buy 21,000 Body Cameras

[Stellar]

Ryan J. Foley / Associated Press Sept. 21, 2015

Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Chicago are among the largest grant recipients

The Department of Justice awarded $19.3 million in grants Monday to dozens of police departments seeking to start using body cameras but turned down a greater number of applicants hoping for federal aid to deploy the technology.

The Justice Department said the grants will go to 73 police agencies in 42 states, helping purchase 21,000 cameras that officers wear on their uniforms to record interactions with citizens. More than 200 other police agencies that applied were passed over for funding for cameras, which are touted as a way to reduce the use of force and clear up questions about disputed encounters.

Interest in the technology soared after a series of fatal encounters between police officers and unarmed civilians, beginning last year with the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.

In all, 285 departments sought $56 million under the program, announced by the Obama administration in May. The department said that the 73 awards exceeded the 50 originally envisioned and that it added $2.5 million to enhance the grant funding available.

“This vital pilot program is designed to assist local jurisdictions that are interested in exploring and expanding the use of body-worn cameras in order to enhance transparency, accountability and credibility,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. “The impact of body-worn cameras touches on a range of outcomes that build upon efforts to mend the fabric of trust, respect and common purpose that all communities need to thrive.”

She said an additional $2 million would go to CNA, a nonprofit research organization, to provide training and technical assistance to departments and $1.9 million would be used to support research in Miami, Milwaukee and Phoenix on the impact on cameras, including community relations.

Those receiving the largest awards of $1 million include Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Florida’s Miami-Dade County, Chicago, Detroit and San Antonio. Other winners include the two largest cities in Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, which each received the $600,000 they were seeking. Among the cities passed over were Des Moines, Iowa; Tallahassee, Florida; and Indianapolis.

More/Video: Time

[Johnny2X2X]

1. Good 1st step

Last edited Tue Sep 22, 2015, 12:53 PM - Edit history (1)

It's a good first step, but it treats the symptom, not the underlying problem.

The way we hire and train law enforcement officers in this country needs to be completely over hauled.

The cameras will likely reduce killings, but I think they may actually increase other abuses as the officers will immediately know how to tamper with the cameras and game the system. In other words, once the police get a suspect on camera resisting, they'll get in close where the cameras can't see much and inflict abuse.

[Stellar]

2. They've got to start somewhere though.

I just hope the country keep recording them because anything could 'go wrong' with the cops camera. They lie with their own camera rolling. wtf

But like you said it's a good 1st step.

[Johnny2X2X]

3. Not a cure all

Here's what I think will happen, they'll get body cameras for a large % of the police force and then mostly ignore all of the underlying problems that make the cameras necessary in the 1st place. Unfortunately, the police force has been building up to the paramilitary and above the law force that they currently are for decades, it's part of their identity at every level now.