Mayor: Body Cameras For Baltimore Police By Years End -- #SeeingIsBelieving

Filed by A.F. James MacArthur
17 February 2015
MACARTHUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SERVICE

BALTIMORE -- (MINS) In 2013, Baltimore Police paid $285,000 to consultant to figure out where they've gone astray. In the report the consultant recommended initiating a body camera program.

More than a year has passed and no such program has begun.

In 2014, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake vetoed a bill requiring body cameras for all officers on patrol.

Instead of moving forward with implementing the high paid consultants recommendations, Blake put together a 16-member body camera "task force."

Since the initial recommendation, several incidents of violent police brutality against Baltimore citizens have been caught on cell phone and surveillance cameras. There is evidence the department attempted suppressing the information and delaying it's release to the public.

The Baltimore Sun reports Blake stated “We will have a body camera program — at least a pilot program — in place this year." No dates or time frame was given for when, within the 10 months left of this year, residents could expect to see it.

After officers began wearing body cameras in Rialto, CA, complaints of excessive force against officers were “drastically reduced.”

The task force will release its recommendations Wednesday evening.