Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Seattle Police Get Federal Funding To Expand Body Camera Use

Manuel Valdes
/
AP

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the Seattle Police Department $600,000 to expand its body camera program. The Seattle Times reports that the DOJ announced the funding Monday as part of a federal campaign to improve law-enforcement transparency.

Seattle police finished a small pilot program this summer in which a dozen officers used body cameras. Department officials say they hope to have all patrol officers wearing cameras next year. The federal funding will go toward purchasing equipment and training officers.

The DOJ awarded federal funding to 73 police agencies across the country, which will help buy an estimated 21,000 cameras. The grants total $19.3 million for buying cameras; $2 million for training; and $1.9 million for examining their use.

The Associated Press (“AP”) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world’s population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world’s information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.