Money
Grant money to help 2 Metro East police departments equip officers with body cameras – KMOV4
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KMOV) – Grant money will help two Metro East police departments equip their officers with body cameras.
“I think body cameras highlight a lot of great things that the officers can do, but it can also show some things that are not right, and so absolutely those things will be addressed,” said Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido.
Pulido told News 4 his department has wanted body cameras for some time, but they were too expensive. This year, a bill signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker requires on-duty officers in cities of a certain size to wear body cameras by 2025.
“At the time the law was taken into effect, it says we have to have cameras by 2025,” Pulido said. “it’s a mandate but it’s unfunded, so I did not want to put our city in a terrible financial problem.”
Pulido and his team began outsourcing. They were eventually awarded a $225,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Justice that will be shared with the City of East St. Louis.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the public will be able to share their opinions on how the tools could help the community. The forum on body cameras will take place during Alton’s City Council Meeting inside Alton City Hall.
The timeline of when Alton’s officers will be wearing cameras hasn’t been released, but more than 100 cameras will be distributed when it is time.
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