MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Body cameras for Memphis police have arrived.
Mayor A C Wharton pushed for the cameras to protect both law enforcement responding to calls and the city from bogus lawsuits.
MPD said they’re in a “testing phase” right now and will try out several different brands before deciding which type they will order for the rest of the department.
Shootings and tension between communities and police departments across the country make this a very timely issue.
The MPD and Wharton’s office said it will be September before the body cameras hit the streets.
The police department will have more than 2,000 cameras, which will be implemented precinct by precinct.
District Attorney General Amy Weirich talked about who will be allowed to see the video.
“They’ll be part of public records requests, just like things that are covered now under the law,” she explained. “Those will be part of a file that is either in possession of the law enforcement agency, state troopers’ file or in possession of the DA’s office.”
The city has not said how much the cameras will cost.
They will not know until they decide which company’s cameras they will be using, but they said that cost will pale in comparison to the cost of storing the video they record.