Kenney to seek money for police body cameras
Mayor Kenney said Wednesay that he will seek funding for 800 police body cameras and the equipment needed to manage the cameras.
Mayor Kenney said Wednesay that he will seek funding for 800 police body cameras and the equipment needed to manage the cameras.
In a radio interview Wednesday morning, Kenney spilled the beans on some budget initiatives he plans to announce during his budget address to Council on Thursday.
The 800 cameras and equipment will be paid for through the city budget and some grant money. A total budget amount was not immediately available.
"This is an important step forward in Philadelphia's police-community relations," Kenney said. "Across the country, body-worn cameras have been extremely successful in reducing instances of use of force as well as police abuse allegations, especially those that are unfounded."
During the campaign, Kenney had talked about purchasing a body camera for every officer within three years. The current proposal falls short of the 2,200 body cameras he wanted to buy per year at a cost of $2.2 million.
Police Commissioner Richard Ross said Tuesday, during another radio interview, that he was "100 percent behind body cameras."
"Body cameras probably give you a closer real-life perspective of what an officer is doing," Ross said in the interview on WHYY, adding that cameras can not only provide accountability for police - they often change how people approach officers since the interaction is being recorded.
About two dozen officers in North Philadelphia's 22nd District have been conducting a pilot program since late 2014.
Kenney Thursday also will propose a $30 million investment over six years for the infrastructure improvements at the Police Academy Firearms Training facility, police district offices, and the police headquarters.
Another $30 million over six years will be proposed for Fire Department infrastructure needs and equipment, as well as $47.5 million for new fire vehicles.
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