The davis police department in the city of davis, yolo county, california, is seeking funds through the BJA FY23 body-worn camera policy and implementation program to expand the existing BWC…

The City of Davis, California was awarded a $130,000 federal Project Grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the FY 2023 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (CFDA 16.835). The grant funding will enable the Davis Police Department to replace aging body-worn camera (BWC) equipment and expand the department's existing BWC program. Key objectives include improving the management and sharing of digital evidence from BWCs with investigators and prosecutors, optimizing the use of BWC footage to enhance criminal prosecutions, and leveraging BWCs to improve officer training and community-police relations. The grant will support the purchase of 65 new BWCs and 15 in-car cameras, as well as enhance video evidence storage capabilities. The project aims to promote transparency, accountability, and community trust through the effective implementation and utilization of BWC technology.

The davis police department in the city of davis, yolo county, california, is seeking funds through the BJA FY23 body-worn camera policy and implementation program to expand the existing BWC implementation program and greatly improve the process of sharing BWC footage as digital evidence, internal review of use of force incidents, and utilizing the footage as an effective tool in officer training. The departments current BWC system was first piloted and implemented in 2014. With grant funding, the department proposes to replace the existing outdated and aging technology and expand the program, by purchasing 65 bwcs and 15 in-car cameras, as well as video evidence storage. There is a critical, urgent need to replace the aging equipment if the department is to continue to fulfill the mission and purpose of the BWC program: to assist officers in the field during the performance of their duties, to promote transparency and accountability, and to assist in collecting evidence for use in criminal investigations and prosecutions. The davis police department relies on BWC technology to ensure public trust and hold criminals, particularly violent criminals, accountable for their illegal activities. In the last several years, the city of davis has worked to put into place BWC procedures and policies that provide accountability, protect privacy, and promote transparency, community trust, and public input. The goal of the davis police department BJA FY23 body-worn camera implementation proposal is to improve access to and facilitate sharing of BWC footage by the department to investigators, prosecutors, and the community. If funded, the project would accomplish the following objectives: (1) improve the management, sharing, and integration of digital evidence generated from bwcs to investigators. (2) optimize how prosecutors leverage BWC footage to improve outcomes. (3) improve use of BWC footage in officer trainings to increase community policing practices and improve community-police relations. This implementation plan will meet the goal of this proposed project and will demonstrate a comprehensive commitment to utilizing digital evidence as a critical tool that reduces crime and supports criminal prosecutions, improves officer and public safety, improves training of officers and officer-community relations, and promotes the hallmarks of community policing, including transparency, oversight, and trust.