Need: the romulus police department is located in southeastern michigan and services a diverse population of 25,174

The Romulus Police Department in Romulus, Michigan was awarded a $244,300 project grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a comprehensive body-worn camera program. The funding will support the deployment of body-worn cameras to all uniformed officers, increased training and updated policies, and program analysis from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025.

The goals of the program are to promote accountability, transparency, and protect officers from wrongful accusations, ensuring policies and procedures are followed. The grant will also improve evidence management and support a financially sustainable program. Key deliverables include deploying cameras, utilizing reliable technology, and increasing community relations and input. The program aims to increase the legitimacy and transparency of daily police operations through positive community interactions.

In efforts to increase legitimacy of the police department in our underrepresented minority community, romulus mayor robert mccraight has prioritized increasing transparency in police operations, and the BWC program is vital to this mission. There is tremendous community support for this project, and the department has received positive responses from citizens, city council, and other community organizations. The department has also conducted extensive research on equipment, and data storage, for the implementation of this program. Goals: the goals of the program include; • promote a culture of accountability and transparency throughout the romulus police department. • protect members of the department from civil liability resulting from wrongful accusations of misconduct. • ensure that current policies and procedures are followed. • deploy bwcs to all officers interacting with the public. • improve management of digital multi-media evidence, to improve foia requests and retention. • establish a sustainable BWC program, which is both technologically and financially sound. Strategy: upon receipt of the BWC system, RPD will utilize the most effective project management models to implement a phased in-approach. Further the department will follow successful implementation strategies used by other agencies, who have established similar programs. Partnerships: RPD will utilize both new and established partnerships to ensure the success of this project. These partnerships include internal partners within the city, specifically; technology services, finance, and the city attorney. Additionally, the department will enhance partnerships with the wayne county prosecutors office, michigan indigent defense council, and the police/fire safety commission. Most importantly, the department will partner with the community, which is represented in our neighborhood watch groups, and the faith-based community in our city. Deliverables / outcomes: • deployment of bwcs to all uniformed officers • utilizing current and reliable technology • increased training and up-to-date policy • thorough and intensive program analysis • increased community relations and input the successful implementation of the RPD-BWC program, will add to the legitimacy and transparency of its daily operations. This will inevitably result in more positive outcomes involving police / citizen contacts within the city of romulus. Moreover, these positive interactions will increase the public's trust in the romulus police department and enhance our partnership with the community.