Chicago has been testing 30 body cameras in one police district and now plans to implement 1,200 to 1,400 more by mid-2016. The cameras are typically worn on officers’ clothing and are used to capture sound and video from various police activities.
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More than 745 hours of video were recorded during the program, and no citizen complaints were filed against police who wore the cameras. The cameras can also double as an in-vehicle recording device. “Expanding this successful program into one-third of the city will help enhance transparency and credibility as well as strengthen the fabric of trust that is vital between police and the community”. The program is being paid for by a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and an additional $1.1 million from city funds. On Saturday, the protests continued, the Chicago police said, and four people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of obstructing traffic and reckless conduct.
In May, the DOJ announced it budgeted $20 million for body cameras at police stations nationwide.
It will be the first time officer Jason Van Dyke appears in court following the release of dash cam video showing the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald last year.
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Since the video’s release, protesters have demonstrated nearly daily, complaining, in part, that city leaders fought for months to keep the graphic video from becoming public and released it only after a county judge ordered them to do so.
