Joining a growing number of cities across the country, the Minneapolis Police Department will start testing body cameras on officers next week.
City and police officials said that 36 patrol officers, from the First, Fourth and Fifth precincts, will start wearing the cameras on Nov. 7, after four days of training. Under the pilot, two different camera systems will be tested for six to nine months.
Leaders said they hope the move toward adopting the diminutive cameras will force officers to be on their best behavior in their interactions with the public, and vice versa.
Mayor Betsy Hodges called the launch of the pilot program "an important step forward in enhancing transparency and accountability."
"I look forward to partnering with the community at the conclusion of the pilot to develop policies and procedures to ensure our departmentwide implementation is effective," said Hodges, who pledged another $1.1 million in her new budget plan for the full program next fall.
A draft of the standard operating procedures, outlining guidelines for when officers be required to turn on their cameras and how long the footage will be stored, will be released on Nov. 6.
"We started looking into the possibilities a year and a half ago, and I believe the system will help us increase our integrity and transparency, two of the core values in my MPD 2.0 plan," said Chief Janeé Harteau. "Furthermore, we believe body cameras will help MPD Officers avoid false or inaccurate claims following the difficult interactions they face each and every day."
Libor Jany
