PG County Police to Get Body Cameras Soon: Report

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Police officers in Prince George's County will be getting body cameras that will monitor their actions while on duty, according to a report.

WTOP reports that after a few delays, PGPD expects that officers will start wearing the cameras in the first quarter of 2017 as part of a "first phase." Police aren't calling it a pilot because they are fully committed to rolling it out, the report states.

A squad in each of the seven police districts in the county will get cameras, for a total of 70-80 officers. They will use Panasonic-brand cameras mounted on the chest, collar and helmet.

About $200,000 have been spent by the county on the cameras.

Body cameras have become a hot-button issue nationwide due to growing allegations of police brutality and violence against unarmed African-Americans. Many police stations around the country have explored body cameras as a way to deal with citizen complaints.

Image via Flickr user North Charleston