Yesterday, police commissioner Bill Bratton announced a small pilot program that will provide NYPD officers with body cameras to record their actions while on duty. The initial program will include only 50 officers.
The cameras are intended both to prevent misconduct by officers and allow officers a defense against complaints that are said to be unfounded. Several cities around the country have already run pilot programs to test the use of these cameras, and others, such as Denver, CO, are taking steps towards creating their own.
The support for the program has intensified since the death of Eric Garner and the events in Ferguson placed a nationwide spotlight on police misconduct. In July, Normal Siegel filed a landmark lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan seeking to establish citizens’ constitutional right to record police activity. (Photo: ACLU-WA)
