KC patrol officers to begin wearing body cams in early 2021, police department says
Kansas City patrol officers will be outfitted with body cameras in early 2021, the police department announced Monday.
The Panasonic cameras will be delivered in early December and officers will undergo training.
Community leaders have long called for a body camera program in Kansas City.
During demonstrations ignited by the death of George Floyd earlier this summer, efforts were renewed by protesters who convened for several days at the Country Club Plaza.
On June 3, Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith announced that the DeBruce Foundation had donated $1 million and raised another $1.5 million from community partners.
Officers in the Central and Shoal Creek patrol divisions as well as the traffic division tested body cameras in August and reported they were eager to begin wearing them full time, the police department said.
