Four Arizona police departments will share more than $1.3 Million in federal grants for body cameras.
The Salt River Police Department is taking the lion’s share of the money, but departments in Peoria, Phoenix and Glendale are also getting funds.
Police Chief Patrick Melvin of the Salt River Police Department said body cameras will improve transparency by enabling community members and executive administration members to see the incidents almost as soon as they occur.
Sgt. David Vidaure said the Glendale Police Department will get 300 body cameras to equip all of its front-line officers.
“That goes beyond just our typical patrol officer and also covers our motorcycle officers, as well as many of our different specialties that our uniform officers that are first points of contact for the public,” he said.
Vidaure said body cameras are a progression of the technology that started with cameras in patrol cars.
“There are many benefits to a body-camera program, one of those is simply the public expects the Glendale Police Department to have and operate at the highest level possible, and we pride ourselves in doing that as best that we can.”