Boise Police have joined other departments around the country to equip officers with body cameras. As of this week, 30 police officers have begun wearing cameras while on patrol. It’s the first group to receive the cameras, and it will take a year for the rest of the 250 cameras to be distributed.
Police Chief Bill Bones has been a proponent of the technology. He's repeatedly underscored the trust-building component of wearing the equipment. The department says Wednesday's rollout comes after a long period of technical upgrades and researching best practices for maintaining privacy.
The city bought the cameras from Taser International, an Arizona-based company. According to the Idaho Statesman, the initial cost for equipment is $400,000, and ongoing maintenance and tech support will cost another $250,000 dollars per year.
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