A proposal which would have strapped 160 body cameras on Burbank police officers has been rejected by the city council due to cost concerns.
Councilman Will Rogers was the only member to support the proposal, which would have committed $570,543 to implementation of the bourgeoning technology. Over five years, the cameras would have cost a whopping $1.9 million—money which could be better spent on staffing shortages, according to Burbank Police Officers’ Assn. President Lt. Jay Hawver.
“I believe that filling the 14 vacant sworn positions and restoring the eight positions that have been eliminated over the last 10 years should be a priority,” Hawver said.
Mayor Bob Frutos said he would also like to see how the technology works out for other large agencies before making a move. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so, with multiple departments across California having adopted the technology in recent months.
Police body cameras were recently thrust back into the national spotlight after a University of Cincinnati police officer fatally shot a man during a routine traffic stop. A camera worn by the officer during the incident appeared to contradict his initial claims of self-defense, and the officer has since been indicted on murder charges.
Read more about the vote here.
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