FORT WAYNE, Ind.–Officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department would be required to wear body cameras if a proposed ordinance goes into effect.
On Tuesday, the Fort Wayne City Council will consider a bipartisan ordinance to have nearly 500 officers in the department wear body cameras by 2023.
The cameras would cost around $400 each, but the true cost of the entire program is not known until the final details are in place. Council members and police say other costs to consider are what it takes to maintain the cameras, download footage, and store the recordings. They also plan to discuss how long the department should keep the video from body cameras stored.
After the ordinance is introduced in Fort Wayne, the council will spend the next two weeks speaking with the Fort Wayne Police Department to figure out language and details.
The bill also states if the department does not meet the necessary obligations, they will not be entitled to budgetary increases in any capacity for the next budget year.
Right now, the plan is for the initial trial of body cameras to be done by the end of this year and have every officer wearing a body camera by 2023.
