President Obama on Monday proposed spending $263 million to help equip the nation's law enforcement officials with body cameras.
The three-year investment package would also expand training for law enforcement agencies (LEAs), add more resources for police department reform, and multiply the number of cities where DOJ facilitates community and local LEA engagement, the White House said.
The "Body Worn Camera Partnership Program" would provide a 50 percent match to states and cities for body-worn cameras and required storage. The White House predicts that the $263 million investment could help buy 50,000 devices over the next three years.
"The initiative as a whole will help the federal government efforts to be a full partner with state and local LEAs in order to build and sustain trust between communities and those who serve and protect these communities," the White House said.
The $263 million is part of the president's proposed budget and would require approval from Congress, White House Press Secretary John Earnest said during today's press briefing.
The move comes amidst unrest in Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. There have been conflicting reports about what actually happened that day in August, and many have suggested (including our own Sascha Segan) that requiring police to wear body cameras would reduce the likelihood of police misconduct or provide officers with proof of their actions if there is a dispute.
Earnest said today that body cameras are not "going to solve every problem," but it is something that "could have a positive impact."
Some law enforcement agencies already wear body cameras, though there have been reports about them being turned off. Earnest said today that the training aspect of the president's proposal will likely address that.
The body camera announcement came as the White House also released a report about local law enforcement agencies' acquisition of military-grade equipment from the government. The report found "a lack of consistency in how federal programs are structured, implemented and audited." President Obama instructed his staff to draft an Executive Order directing relevant agencies to work together and with law enforcement and civil rights and civil liberties organizations to develop specific recommendations on that issue within 120 days.
Obama also announced a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, chaired by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, which "will examine, among other issues, how to promote effective crime reduction while building public trust; and will be directed to prepare a report and recommendations within 90 days of its creation," the White House said.
For more, see GoPros for Cops Are Not the Solution.