The City of Rochester has entered a partnership with the Coalition for Police Reform – Community Justice Advisory Board to create more transparency in the Rochester Police Department's Body Worn Camera Program. Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli says more than 500 cameras have been used by officers since March, producing between 35,000 and 42,000 videos every month.
While national studies in previous years have shown the use of body worn cameras contributed to a decrease in complaints against police and use of force by officers, a rigorous study in Washington, D.C. released in October indicated that the cameras had no impact on citizen complaints or police officers' use of force.
This hour, we discuss what's next for the Body Worn Camera Program in Rochester, and the impact the cameras have on policing at the national level. In studio:
- Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli
- Lt. Michael Perkowksi, head of the RPD's Body Worn Camera program
- Iman Abid, member of the Coalition for Police Reform and chapter director of the Genesee Valley office of the ACLU of NY
- Mike Bleeg, member of the Coalition for Police Reform
