It might take three months for the town of Wichita Falls to seek out out if it’s going to obtain a authorities grant to assist police patrol officers equip physique cameras.
Tuesday, City Council Members authorized the municipality to apply for grants. For $942,000 to buy 120 digital camera items.
“There’s solely $6 million put into this grant sum, so we’re unsure precisely how a lot we’ll get,” Police Chief Manuel Borrego advised councillors. “We wish to apply for this grant and see how a lot we are able to profit from it.”
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If the town receives its total request, the state can pay $706,953 of the whole and depart $235,650 to the municipality. Along with cameras, the division should even have the technological functionality to function them and retailer video. State legislation requires video to be retained for at the least 90 days.
Metropolis workers thought of including the acquisition of police physique cameras to the town’s $29.1 million spending record in federal COVID-19 aid cash, however the mission did not make the ultimate minimize.
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Many legislation enforcement companies within the county have geared up themselves with physique cameras to analyze citizen complaints and for officer security coaching, as a nod to transparency. The Texas Legislature licensed the usage of physique cameras in 2015.
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With a couple of exceptions, Texas legislation requires officers with physique cameras to file all their contacts with residents within the efficiency of official duties. Officers should maintain cameras operating all through your entire match. Public entry to video varies from metropolis to metropolis, relying on division coverage.
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Whereas physique cameras are new to Wichita Falls patrol officers, bike officers have been utilizing them for a number of years and police vehicles have cameras.
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