Title
Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (B)
This is a request for City Commission approval for the Gainesville Police Department to accept a grant, if awarded, from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in implementing a body-worn camera policy.
Explanation
The Gainesville Police Department has applied for the FY 2017 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program grant. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting the safe and fair administration of justice. The intent of the program is to help agencies develop, implement, and evaluate a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agencies comprehensive problem-solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust. The grant submission deadline is February 16, 2017. The grant awards can be up to $750,000.
This grant will enable the City of Gainesville’s Police Department to follow the lead of law enforcement agencies across the country and worldwide by using body-worn cameras (BWC) as a promising tool to improve law enforcement interactions with the public. BWCs can provide a visual and audio record of interactions. Some preliminary evidence indicates that the presence of BWCs helps strengthen accountability and transparency, and can assist in de-escalating conflicts, resulting in more constructive encounters between the police and members of the community.
Funding from this grant may be used to engage and inform the public and victim, privacy, and civil liberty advocacy groups about how the applicant will use its BWC project as a part of a larger initiative to improve transparency and accountability in encounters between police and the public. GPD will be required to work with the BJA-funded BWC training and technical assistance (TTA) provider as part of the policy development process review prior ...
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