New funding opportunity available for body cameras
Clip-on video cams, as pictured above, provide an added perspective during police interactions .
On May 1, the U.S. Depart ment of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released an FY15 grant solicitation for state and local law enforcement agencies to establish or expand body-worn cameras (BWC).
Counties are eligible to apply and must provide a 50 percent in-kind or cash match if the application is accepted. The deadline to apply is June 16, 2015.
A total of $17 million is available for the BWC Pilot Implementation Program. BJA anticipates making 50 awards to law enforcement agencies, with about one-third of the grants directed toward agencies with fewer than 250 officers.
Successful applicants must demonstrate a commitment and adherence to a strong BWC policy framework, including comprehen sive policy adoption and requisite training. Additionally, the continu ity of long-term costs, such as data storage fees, will be the responsibil ity of the local law enforcement agencies.
In addition to the 50 awards, $2 million will go toward establishing a BWC Training and Technical Assistance Center, funded through a competitive process, focusing on agencies developing and enhancing their BWC programs. The center will also provide national resources on BWC topics and address con cerns related to the program.
BJA will also launch a BWC Implementation Toolkit this month, designed as an online resource for stakeholders. The toolkit will focus on implementation requirements, retention issues, policy concerns, interests of prosecutors, victim and privacy advocates' concerns, along with community engagement and funding considerations.
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