Chicago moves up plans for police cams
Body cameras to be implemented citywide by late 2017, a year early
CHICAGO — Amid city budget woes, continued mistrust of police in minority communities and a still-pending federal investigation into police practices, Chicago police announced a plan to deploy body cameras into every police district a year early. The move means that in a year, the chest-mounted devices will become a new watchful eye over Chicago police officers and those they encounter.
Just months after police first revealed plans to expand a 2015 body camera pilot program into all 22 police districts by the end of 2018, City Hall and the Police Department announced on Wednesday an accelerated plan to outfit thousands of patrol officers with the new AXON II cameras and training by late 2017.
“The citywide use of body worn cameras within the Chicago Police Department will provide a greater sense of selfawareness to both officers and the individuals that they interact with,” police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a news release announcing the change.
After starting with the pilot program in the Police Department’s Shakespeare District on the Northwest Side, about 2,000 cameras are now in use in seven police districts, but officials didn’t have a precise timetable for when the cameras would be in place in the other 15 districts.
Use of the cameras ramped up after the public outcry over the release of 2014 squad car video showing Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times as the teenager, holding a knife, was walking away.
The move comes as the U.S. Department of Justice continues examining police policies and procedures in the wake of the 2015 release of the McDonald video.
Town Hall District Cmdr. Marc Buslik, who oversaw the implementation of the body cameras while working in the Shakespeare District, said the department adopted body camera policies backed by the federal officials.
“Our policies were originally based on best practices of the Justice Department,” said Buslik, who had also acted as the department’s liaison with the Justice Department during its investigation. “We knew what they were likely to be looking for in terms of policy. We’re very comfortable with our policy, and any other commentary from the DOJ will be favorable.”