MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mayor A C Wharton set a date for Memphis police officers to start implementing body cameras, dash cameras and GPS devices in squad cars.
He said the first group of officers would start using the equipment by September 1.
The city would implement the equipment precinct by precinct.
In the meantime, WREG was told some officers would try out different cameras while a legal team created rules and policies.
“It is a very aggressive schedule, but it is something that is long needed, and we intend to stick with it,” said Mayor Wharton.
He told WREG a committee, mostly made up of MPD officers, was checking out different equipment from seven technology companies that placed bids.
They focused on reliability and whether the equipment worked with MPD’s network and computers.
“We pick quality first, and then we open the envelope as to how much it costs,” said Wharton.
By the end of May, the city would start testing some cameras on officers and in cars, and by July 20, the city said it would place an order for 2,150 body cameras, 900 dash cameras and 900 GPS systems.
“We may take a little bit of this from this company. A little from that company,” said Mayor Wharton.
In the meantime, Mayor Wharton said he was working on getting grant money to help with the cost.
“[The city] won’t have to depend on the he said she said. We will run it by and look at it. The proof is in the pudding,” said Wharton.
The city won’t talk about costs until they decided which equipment to purchase.
Some city leaders have thrown out figures well into the millions.
