The Justice Department has awarded $23.2 million to police departments across the country, of which $19.3 million will go toward purchasing cameras, $2 million will be reserved for training and tech assistance, and $1.9 million set aside to study the cameras’ impact.
The goal is to have 50,000 body cameras on officers across the United States within three years, a lofty initiative that will see the money dispersed across 73 agencies in 32 states.
According to the Justice Department, agencies that receive grants are required to match the funds themselves and “establish a strong implementation plan and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras.”
In addition, a long-term data-storage plan must be developed by each individual agency.
While this is definitely a step in the right direction, questions about the effectiveness of current police body cameras continue to be a topic for debate.
