(CBM) – Five interesting facts about body camera’s in California:
1. All around the world, people look to Rialto, California‘s police department body camera program as a respected model.
2. Since Rialto, California’s police department body camera program launched in February 2012, police officer use of excessive force has dropped by 60% and complaints about police officers decreased by a whopping 88 percent.
3. If California Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) gets his way, the state will give the California Highway Patrol $5 million to launch a body camera program. Jones-Sawyer, who is chairman of the California Legislative Black Caucus has already asked Gov. Jerry Brown for the money.
4. The United States Justice department has launched a $20 million program to provide police forces across the country with body camera’s and training. The generous federal grants will not help the local agencies pay for video storage, though.
5. California’s Attorney General, Kamala Harris, announced that the Golden State’s Justice Department will be the first statewide agency to adapt a body camera program for its officers and agents.