All City Police Officers To Wear Body Cams By End Of Year, Report Says
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The city is on track to have all of its police officers equipped with body cameras by the end of 2019, according to a new report.
According to the annual statistical report released Wednesday by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, approximately two-thirds of all officers received body cameras in 2018.
The remaining officers will get them by the end of this year.
Police Chief Scott E. Schubert said that body-worn cameras have already helped the force better serve the communities they protect.
"Impartial video evidence retrieved from the cameras has proven to be invaluable on many levels and has helped with our commitment to professionalism and fairness," Schubert wrote in the report's opening message.
The report also said that violent crime was down last year, with a 5% decrease in homicides and a 19% reduction in non-fatal shootings.
In all, police officers in Pittsburgh responded to nearly 250,000 calls last year.
