Twenty-seven Massachusetts police departments are slated to receive state funding to launch body camera programs.
Another five police departments will get a boost to expand their existing programs, the Baker administration announced Monday as officials prepare to distribute grants totaling nearly $2.5 million.
“Body-worn cameras are a transformative tool for law enforcement,” Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy said in a statement Monday afternoon. “This technology strengthens transparency and accountability while promoting best practices and improving police-community relations.”
All police departments that applied to the fiscal 2023 Body-Worn Cameras Grant Program received either partial or full funding through a competitive process, with amounts ranging from less than $20,000 to almost $250,000.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said body cameras forge trust between law enforcement and Bay Staters.
“Strong relationships between police and the communities they protect are vital to ensuring public safety,” Polito said in a statement.
The North Adams Police Department was awarded a grant of $94,492, and the Pittsfield Police Department will get $166,586.73, according to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
The Baker administration in 2021 had initially awarded $4 million to the body camera initiative, forging part of a five-year investment worth $20 million.
“With these grant awards, our administration is expanding resources for local departments to expand the implementation of body-worn cameras which are an important tool to enhance accountability, improve investigations and strengthen relationships between police and the communities they serve,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. “The investment we’re making in these programs today will help create safer communities for years to come.”
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