CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland police say they will soon be issuing body cameras to police officers in the hope of reducing confrontations between officers and citizens, use of force and citizen complaints.
The city has ordered 1,500 cameras that will be distributed over several months to its five police districts. Officers are being ordered to use the cameras whenever they stop a pedestrian or motorist, are involved in a chase or are at crime and accident scenes.
The Cleveland police department has been heavily criticized in recent years due to a number of high-profile incidents, including the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun in November.
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a report in December that said the department has a pattern and practice of using excessive force.
The city of Dayton tells WYSO it is researching options for body cameras, but no proposal is on the table yet.
