BOSTON (AP) - Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says the city has begun issuing body cameras to police officers.
The Boston Globe reported Friday that the first of about 400 cameras will be worn by officers in the South Boston and Dorchester neighborhoods. Training for the officers will start next week.
Implementation of the body camera program comes after a yearlong test. Researchers from Northeastern University who studied results from the test found the devices provided “small but meaningful benefits” in encounters between police and community members.
The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association continues to oppose the cameras. The union unsuccessfully tried to block the previous test.
Walsh says the program, estimated to cost $8.5 million over the first three years, will “support the incredible progress we have made in community policing.”
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com
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