Detroit To Outfit Every Police Officer With Body Cameras, Ensure All Dashcams Are Working
DETROIT (WWJ) - The city of Detroit is moving ahead with plans to equip all police officers with body cameras and make sure every patrol car has a working dashcam.
Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig are expected to announce details of the plan and a timeline for outfitting the department at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
No bigger than a lipstick tube, the cameras are meant to record an officer's-eye view at all times. Craig has said the body cameras will not only allow officers to accurately document critical information, crime scene evidence and police-citizen interaction, but also promote more confidence within the community.
The department started testing the body cameras late last year. In March, the program was extended to 20 officers in the 11th Precinct.
President Barack Obama has promoted the use of body cameras by police after last year's shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.