Ball Announces Plans To Fund Body-Worn Cameras For Howard County Police

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) — Howard County Executive Calvin Ball connected Monday announced plans to usage $1.6 cardinal successful American Rescue Plan wealth to money a body-worn camera programme for constabulary successful the county.

“Through the usage of national funding, we tin money our body-worn camera programme instantly pursuing Council support of our fund amendment,” Ball said successful a statement. “This indispensable programme tin yet determination guardant – and supply different furniture of information and information for our officers and our community. I americium assured that the usage of body-worn cameras volition make a mutually beneficial narration that volition service our officers and our residents portion upholding transparency and justice.”

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Ball said helium plans to taxable a fund amendment connected Thursday that volition merchandise $500,000 successful region funds that were placed successful contingency for a body-worn camera program. Additionally, the region earmarked $1 cardinal successful the fiscal twelvemonth 2022 fund supply the cameras to Howard County police.

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In total, the region volition walk $3.1 cardinal to bargain 600 cameras for 300 Howard County Police Department officers, prosecute 26 caller positions crossed the constabulary department, state’s attorney’s bureau and sheriff’s office, store the indispensable software, and supply instrumentality to sheriff’s deputies.

“Police accountability is simply a cardinal tenet of our bureau and these caller body-worn cameras volition lend to that commitment,” Police Chief Lisa Myers said successful a statement. “We look guardant to continuing the outstanding relationships of spot and transparency our constabulary section has long-established with the community.”

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If the fund amendment is passed by the Howard County Council, backing for the body-worn camera programme would statesman connected Oct. 5, 2021.

CBS Baltimore Staff