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The Detroit Police Department next month starts using body cameras and new patrol car video gear.
The equipment will be phased in and be fully in place by next year.
The mayor's office announced the move following city council approval Tuesday of a $5.2-million contract with WatchGuard Video of Texas.
“The most important thing we can have as a police department is the trust of the citizens we serve,” Chief James Craig says in a release. “This new system will allow us to document every encounter our officers have with a member of the public. This was a process that was initiated and led by officers themselves and they are in full support of this new platform.”
Detroit got a $1-million Department of Justice grant.
The contract calls for deployment of 1,500 body-worn cameras to cover all patrol and investigative officers in the Department, as well as 450 in-vehicle cameras, the release says.
Next month, the department will deploy the first 50 body cameras and 20 vehicle cameras in the 4th and 7th precincts. Full deployment begins in August and is expected to be completed within 14 months.
“When we are finished with this project, the City of Detroit will have one of the most transparent police departments in the country,” Mayor MIke Duggan says. “The community should be very proud of what Chief Craig, his officers and City Council have accomplished today.”
