Ore. capital city accepts state grant to fund police body cameras

By Whitney Woodworth
Statesman Journal

SALEM, Ore. — The Salem City Council voted Monday to accept $816,000 from state grant funds for the city's police department body camera program.

Salem police spokesman Lt. Treven Upkes said there is no set timeline for when the department would begin using body cameras but they hope to get the program running in the first half of 2022.

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature appropriated $13.1 million to the city. The funds are set to be used for the body camera program, $10.5 million for potential sheltering sites, cleanup of homeless campsites, sobering centers and crisis response, $800,000 for a program housing and stabilizing people experiencing homelessness in area hotels, and $1 million for the Salem Housing Authority Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP) and voucher program outreach.

FULL STORY: Salem City Council approves acceptance of state grant to fund police body cameras