Denniro/iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Justice Department on Friday announced $20 million in funding to support its Body-Worn Camera Pilot Partnership program in an effort to help local and tribal law enforcement organizations purchase body-worn cameras.
“This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support, and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a press release. “Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability, and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”
Calls for expanded use of body-worn cameras have become louder in recent months, in the wake of the police-involved deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Tamir Rice in Cleveland, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y., among others.
Approximately $17 million of the funds will go towards competitive grants for the purchase of cameras, with $2 million used for training and technical assistance and $1 million in developing evaluation tools to determine best practices.
“Body-worn camera technology is a valuable tool for improving police-citizen relationships,” said Denise O’Donnell, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
The DOJ expects to offer 50 grants to local law enforcement agencies, targeted in particular for smaller agencies. The agencies receiving the grants are required to contribute a 50/50 in-kind or cash match of the funds and must establish a “strong plan for implementation of body-worn cameras and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras,” the DOJ said.
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