The White House announced today that $263 million in federal funding for police training and body cameras has been set aside by executive order. $75 million has been earmarked just for the purchase of body cameras for police officers across the U.S. It is estimated that this money will aid in the purchase of some 50,000 body cameras. Rest of the money will be put towards training of law enforcement officers in responsible use of paramilitary gear like assault rifles, and also to fund outreach programs in order to build up trust between police department and communities.
Body cameras have become a major demand from rights activists as well as the general public, even more so in the wake of the Ferguson protests, which began after an unarmed teen named Michael Brown was killed by the police in Ferguson.
The cameras will provide a record of the police’s activities and will be a major source of evidence in cases where police misconduct is alleged.
However some might say that this move is too little, too late. The money isn’t enough to purchase cameras for over 750,000 police officers in the country, 50,000 is just a fraction of that, not to mention that potential problems with public record laws in states like Washington have yet to be sorted out.
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