All Uniformed Troopers Will Be Equipped by The End of April
Rhode Island State Police today formally announced today the rollout of its Body Worn & Cruiser Based Camera Program.
From The Rhode Island State Police:
The Rhode Island State Police today announced that it has begun the process of training and outfitting Troopers with both body-worn and cruiser cameras. The agency conducted a pilot program between October 2020 and January 2021 and this week uniformed Troopers will begin using the cameras. The program will be phased in over the next few months and all uniformed Troopers are expected to be equipped with cruiser and body-worn cameras by the end of April.
“The cameras are an added key tool that promote accountability and transparency,” said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “We appreciate the collaboration of our local, state and federal officials to provide funding for this program so that all members of law enforcement in Rhode Island have access to this technology.”
Meanwhile, The Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union weighed in, with a reminder:
“As an organization that supported the passage of the law which now provides for a statewide body-worn camera program, and that closely followed the regulatory process dictating the parameters of this program, we are pleased to see the rollout of a program intended to enhance transparency and accountability in our policing forces. Of course, all civil liberties issues must be monitored to ensure that the deployment of the cameras matches the program’s intentions. One issue in particular of concern to us is that the regulations give police a potentially lengthy period of time to release footage of use-of-force incidents. We will continue to closely watch the BWC program, and observe how it, in practice, aligns with its mission of providing sorely needed community oversight to our policing systems.”
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