Mayor Says Police Body Camera Program Will Be Funded
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Mayor Marty Walsh says he has allotted $2 million in the city's 2019 budget to fund a controversial police body camera program.
"We put money in the budget as a placeholder so as we move forward here we're not going to have to wait a year," said Walsh on Sunday.
Results from a one-year pilot-program in Boston to be released this June will give specifics on the program's successes and failures. It will also detail how the funds should be allocated, Walsh said.
"We have to look at the equipment, what it would cost, how we keep it, how long we keep it for. All those questions will come up in the pilot once it's complete," said Walsh. "Most of the conversations coming back were positive and I think it's important to me, as we look to the future of policing, we'll see exactly how it works, I mean it could be an effective tool."
The proposed funding is part of Walsh's budget, which will be filed this week for review by the city council.
A preliminary review of the pilot program found that body camera-wearing officers were less likely to have complaints of wrongdoing filed against them.
The budget also includes an extra $100,000 for a street workers program for high-crime neighborhoods.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
