Photo by Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie.
You might be seeing Metropolitan Police Department officers wearing body cameras in the near future.
According to a spokesperson with the mayor’s office, Mayor Vince Gray and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier are expected Wednesday to roll out the details of an MPD plan that would require officers to wear body cameras as a way to deal with complaints of alleged police misconduct.
The plan, the mayor’s spokesperson says, “has been in the works for over a year” and would “test body cameras as a way to foster transparency in law enforcement.” Back in May, the Police Complaints Board issued a report to Gray, Lanier and and the D.C. Council recommending that the city should implement a body camera system.
Earlier this month, the NAACP echoed that recommendation, with NAACP President Akosua Ali said that “these cameras will offer evidence supporting justice for victims of police misconduct and police officers also deserve proof against unjust claims of misconduct.”
Details of the plan will be explained during the mayor’s biweekly press briefing on Wednesday morning.