A police officer wearing an Axon body camera. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Boston Police Commissioner William Gross says that, starting next year, the city will introduce a new body-worn camera program for police officers. Gross told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Dan Rea on Nightside that a pilot program was very successful.
"It went extremely well, and one thing was apparent--the officers liked it for the most part overwhelmingly," Gross said. "Officers felt safer, and so did the public."
Arizona-based company Axon announced last month that Boston Police contracted for a body-worn camera program backed by a digital evidence management solution, with shipments in multiple phases beginning in January.
An anitial $500,000 was set aside for the camera pilot program, and Mayor Marty Walsh included a $2 million investment in this year's budget covering start-up costs and the purchase of up to $400 cameras. Estimates for the first three years of cameras is around $8.5 million.
Gross says they need input from the community on what type of policy they want, and how the cameras should be rolled out. He said they have been working with the union, because the use of the cameras constitutes a change in working conditions.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports