Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) - Four Seattle police cruisers have been equipped with video cameras as part of a pilot program to boost public confidence in the police, Mayor Greg Nickels said Monday.
The cameras will be installed in a dozen more cars by the end of the month.
Last July, city officials approved spending $200,000 for the cameras in response to a resolution against racial profiling. Seattle police officers have been involved in at least two controversial shootings of black men in recent years.
“Our officers can’t be effective and our communities can’t feel safe unless police enjoy the trust and confidence of the people we serve,” Nickels said.
Nickels said that in addition to boosting public confidence, video from the cameras could help convict criminals.
The city will decide later whether to install cameras in all 223 marked police cars.