Indianapolis City Officials Initiate Study for Body-Worn Cameras

Indianapolis seeks feedback form the community, officers in newly launched study on body-worn cameras.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Feb 05, 2019

The mayor and Police Chief in Indianapolis have announced a feasibility study for a body-worn camera program in the city. 

Mayor Joe Hogsett and Chief Bryan Roach announced in a news release published this weekend that the study will begin as early as the following week and seeks to gather feedback from neighborhoods as well as "rank-and-file officers."

"Large police departments across the country have reported benefits from body-worn camera programs that include increased transparency with the community, a reduction in complaints against police and improved officer training," the news release said. "The captured audio and video can assist in the prosecution of offenders as well as the investigation of citizen compliance."

The news release identified the Police Chief as the first body camera program manager tasked with overseeing the study period.

The announcement comes just days after the Fraternal Order of Police had a news conference calling for a "truth in funding" commission for body cameras. Indianapolis FOP President Rick Snyder said that he is confident that a body camera pilot program would be launched within the next year.