Police officers with the Paterson Police Department will soon be getting new gear – body-worn cameras,
part of a pilot program to increase transparency and accountability.
Around two dozen officers will be a part of the first launch.
"When we talk about 21st
century policing, it cannot start without body cameras, because considering
what happened this past summer, with the murder of George Floyd, people want
more transparency and more accountability," says Mayor Andre Sayegh.
"Today, we are giving them more transparency and more accountability."
The call to action has been seen more and more nationally, but there are
also cases where officers don’t activate their cameras, which means no
transparency. A Black Lives Matter organizer in Elizabeth says officers should
not have the power to turn them on and off.
"How would that actually
bring justice if they have the power to hide their wrongdoings or to hide the
abuse that they are treating us?” says Kason Little.
Officers in Paterson are expected to upload footage themselves from the
body cameras after their shifts. If the pilot program goes well, it could be
expanded.