The South Bend Police Department is adding body cameras to all its patrols.
South Bend’s Police Department has already started using body cameras. About 35 have been out since the beginning of the year. By June all 170 patrols will have a camera.
“This is about mutual accountability," said Chief Scott Ruzskowski. "It’s not just the officers, it’s the people that the officers are dealing with.”
The cameras are actually Motorola E-4 smartphones that are set up only to take video and photos. They attach into a uniform shirt or special vest with the camera lens sitting between the officers chest pockets.
The video is uploaded to a cloud and use of the data is strictly dictated by a policy that can be found in South Bend's transparency hub.
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttiegieg said the cameras can help bridge the divide between the public and police. “Anything that helps mitigate that is good for the community, it’s good for safety. We believe it’s good for officers and it’s good for neighbors.”
Dashboard cameras in squad cars are also being updated. The entire process is expected to be finished by June first.
