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Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty on Thursday called for every police department to equip its officers and cruisers with cameras.
(Marvin Fong / The Plain Dealer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty on Thursday called for all police departments in Cuyahoga County to equip their officers and patrol cars with cameras.
Expanding on an earlier offer he'd made to Cleveland police, McGinty said he'd help cash-strapped communities pay for dashboard cameras, using money his office has seized during successful criminal prosecutions.
"We don't expect some agencies will need it," he said. "Hunting Valley, for example, is well-funded. But some others certainly need help, and we want to help them."
The prosecutor's office has already committed $35,000 to East Cleveland, and previously offered $500,000 to Cleveland to help outfit its police cruisers with dashboard cameras. The prosecutor's office has up to $200,000 in additional money available to help buy cameras for other cities, according to spokeswoman Reanna Karousis.
McGinty made the offer during a meeting of the county's Criminal Justice Services Board, in which he addressed a room full of local police and court officials.
In an interview following the meeting, McGinty said people behave better when they're recorded. The cameras provide prosecutors valuable evidence when people commit crimes, and also serve as a check on the officers themselves.
"As truth-seekers, we're better equipped when we have it on film," McGinty said.
McGinty acknowledged financial challenges facing local city governments. The cameras, he said, would help pay for themselves by reducing lawsuits that result from encounters between police and citizens.
Cleveland in January spent $2.4 million to buy 1,500 wearable body cameras for its police officers, and is the process of developing a policy for their use.
Other communities considering or pursuing body cameras for police include Rocky River and Shaker Heights.