Metro awarded $250,000 for body cameras
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a $250,000 grant for Metro's body cameras program Monday.
The grant, funded by the DOJ's Office of Justice Programs, requires Metro to match the award and establish a strong implementation plan and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras or equipment.
Metro has already adopted body-worn camera systems for some precincts and released its policies earlier this month.
The agency said it will treat camera footage as a public record, just like police reports and other documents. If the video is connected to an investigation, however, Metro won't release it right away. Such footage would become public when it is used as evidence in a criminal case in open court.
Metro was one of 73 police departments in 32 states to share in the more than $19.3 million in funding from the federal agency.
Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Find him on Twitter: @WesJuhl
