As Baltimore handles its riots and its police force, the Department of Justice has enacted a new body camera program to deal with the issue of malpractice among officers.
"The announcement from the Justice Department on Friday would create a new pilot program to equip police in dozens of cities with the devices, as the first step in a $75 million three-year effort that President Obama requested from Congress in December," The Hill reported,
"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 told the press. "Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve."
The introduction of the program comes after a series of aggressive riots in Baltimore that were inspired by the arrest of Freddie Gray, who died in police custody. Gray's death was recently labeled a homicide by Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
The idea of requiring police to wear body cameras has recently gained some traction, as a number of cases have occurred in Ferguson, Miss. and New York City where unclear evidence made it difficult to prosecute police officers involved in the deaths of unarmed black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
The Hill noted that $17 million of the money going into the body camera program will reportedly be given to departments to buy cameras, $2 million will be spent on "training and technical assistance," and $1 million will go towards making sure the program is effective. A significant portion of the funding will go to small town police departments.
Some cities are already experimenting with police using body cameras, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
