Grant offers Mass. departments opportunity to test body cameras

Daily Collegian

AMHERST, Mass. —  The killing of Michael Brown in August of 2014 ignited a national conversation about police accountability and set in motion demands for a system that documents interactions between officers and citizens. The ambiguity surrounding Brown’s death led to a call for officers to don body cameras to prevent uncertainty in cases where complications or allegations of abuse arise.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker has said that he’s interested in exploring the use of body cameras but is not at the stage of penning legislation that would establish a statewide mandate without a proper framework to govern usage.
Now, with a supplemental budget passed in October 2015, police departments across the state will have an opportunity to acquire body cameras and run their own pilot programs.

The $275,000 grant, which was made available last week through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, is the brainchild of State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg and his staff.

Full Story: Grant offers Massachusetts police departments opportunity to test body cameras