Community members could see Rockville City Police Department officers using body-worn cameras as early as late May.
A contract approved March 6 by the Mayor and Council also includes the installation of new in-car systems, which will be synchronized with the body-worn cameras. Dashboard cameras have been used in RCPD cruisers for over two decades.
Body-worn cameras produce a video record of incidents and have proven to be a valuable accountability tool for law enforcement, providing support for officer testimony during criminal trials and evidence for investigating claims of officer misconduct. RCPD has worked with the City Attorney’s Office to ensure a policy is in place that addresses privacy and other civil liberties issues. All RCPD officers are being trained in the operation of both systems, as well as in the policy governing their use, before the cameras are deployed.
Learn more in the March 6 Mayor and Council agenda at www.rockvillemd.gov/AgendaCenter and on the city’s YouTube channel at www.rockvillemd.gov/yoututbe. Search “body cameras.”