The U.S. Department of Justice has just invested $23 million into 73 law enforcement agencies as part of the government's Body-Worn Camera Pilot Partnership Program, but 212 other police departments left the line with empty bowls.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch updated the public on the Justice Department's latest efforts to build bridges between young people and police officers.
"Our Bureau of Justice Assistance designed the program 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," Lynch stated on Monday, Sept. 21, at the White House's Champions of Change conference.
Just over $19 million of the pilot program's funds were poured directly into 73 local and tribal law enforcement agencies in 42 states to help them kickstart their own body camera initiatives.
The Justice Department appropriated $2 million of the $23 million purse to training and technical support.
"And another $1.9 million will support research in three police departments—Miami, Milwaukee and Phoenix—on the impact of body-worn cameras on a range of outcomes, including community relations," Lynch said. "That kind of evaluation is crucial as we continue to weigh the advantages of more widespread use of cameras in policing."
While Lynch is serving 23 more law enforcement agencies than it initially expected in May, there was a total of 285 police departments that sought a combined total of about $56 million.
Some watchdog groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California, have spoken out against the disbursement of funding for police departments, including the Los Angeles Police Department, which keep body camera footage internal.
Police chiefs, however, have been praising the tech's potential to promote positive change.
When a "bad apple" is believed to be wearing a police badge, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said, the police department wants to be sure nothing taints evidence that "should result in a conviction."
"Vice versa, if we have somebody who is doing something criminal against one of our police officers or to another innocent person in this city, I want to make sure that an early release of video doesn't taint their conviction," said Beck.
