News Release - Rochester Awarded $600,000 Body-Worn Camera Grant

City of Rochester

News Release

(Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren and Police Chief Michael Ciminelli announced today that the Rochester Police Department (RPD) has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to implement a Body-Worn Camera program in Rochester.

“Body-Worn Cameras will be yet another tool to help our Police Department make our citizens and officers safer,” said Mayor Warren. “The use of cameras will bring an important new component to help build on the already strong relationship between our Police Department and the community it serves. I want to thank President Obama for recognizing the value of this program and making these funds available. Body-Worn Cameras will further our goal of bringing true community policing to Rochester, which helps us create more jobs, safer neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for all our children.”

The Rochester Police Department will receive these funds as part of President Obama’s commitment to expand funding and training to law enforcement agencies through community policing initiatives. The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Justice Programs (OJP) have made $22.5 million available to help local law enforcement organizations implement Body-Worn Camera programs.

BJA processed 285 applications from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and tribal governments. Rochester was one of 73 applicants nationally and four in New York to be awarded a grant.

“I am grateful to Mayor Warren for her support and efforts to help secure these grant dollars,” said Chief Ciminelli. “Body-Worn Cameras will help us to add this important new policing hardware for the safety of both officers and the public. I am grateful that the Department of Justice selected our Department to be part of the President’s pilot initiative.”

The RPD is currently evaluating proposals from Body-Worn Camera providers and expects to begin issuing the cameras to patrol officers in 2016. The RPD is also developing a Body-Worn Camera policy, which will incorporate input from citizens, officers and key public safety stakeholders. Mayor Warren and the Rochester City Council have included $2 million in the City budget to implement a Body-Worn Camera program.

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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at (585) 428-7135.

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