The Imperial County Sheriff’s Department will receive a $74,770 grant from the Justice Department as part of a $23.2 million body camera funding program.
73 local and tribal agencies in 32 states have been awarded government grants for the program.
The body-worn camera pilot program, announced in May 2015, includes $19.3 million to purchase body cameras, $2 million for training and technical assistance and $1.9 million to examine the impact of their use.
“This vital pilot program is designed to assist local jurisdictions that are interested in exploring and expanding the use of body-worn cameras in order to enhance transparency, accountability and credibility,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The impact of body-worn cameras touches on a range of outcomes that build upon efforts to mend the fabric of trust, respect and common purpose that all communities need to thrive.”
The grants require a 50/50 in-kind or cash match and can be used to purchase cameras and train officers in their use. Each agency is responsible for proper training and long term storage of cameras.
The award was announced Monday at a White House Champions of Change event co-hosted by the Office of Justice Programs and the Community Oriented Policing Services Office.
The event honored officers and young people working to improve relations between police and youth in their communities.
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The importance of transparency in law enforcement has become a prominent issue since the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in August of 2014 and a number of officer involved shootings that followed.
The OJP’s Bureau of Justice Studies is collecting data from law enforcement agencies on body camera usage, and will eventually survey prosecutors and public defenders about how body camera footage is used in court.
Last December President Obama asked for more funding for body cameras and better training, saying there is a “simmering distrust” between minority communities and law enforcement.
“This is not a problem of Ferguson, Missouri. This is a national problem,” the president said.
