by Nick Castele
Cleveland is preparing to outfit city police cruisers with dashboard cameras, paid for by a grant from the county prosecutor’s office.
City Council Safety Committee Chairman Matt Zone says the $500,000 grant would put cameras in district patrol cruisers, traffic unit cars and the downtown service unit.
The grant will pay for cameras in 275 vehicles, according to a city council spokesperson.
With both dashboard cameras and body cameras rolling, Zone said, police incidents can be reviewed from multiple vantage points.
“It’s an added layer of information to complete the record and complete the investigation,” he said. “Having multiple angles and multiple views will only protect the community we serve, but also the police officers who are responding to a call for help.”
The grant would also fund a fee for three-years of data storage, Zone said.
He said the city plans to buy the dashboard cameras form Taser International, the same company that provides the body cameras worn by Cleveland police.