Bay City Police Officers Getting Body Cameras This Week

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - Police officers in Bay City are getting body cameras starting this week.

The Bay City Commission in August approved the purchase of the cameras and their accompanying software. The Bay City Times reports the shift that starts on Thursday morning will be the first to be deployed with officers wearing body cameras.

The body cameras come after a pilot period that saw two officers per shift wear cameras by different manufacturers. The initial cost of the system, including cameras, equipment replacement, video storage and management software, is about $36,000.

A number of other Michigan departments are adding body cameras or considering them. President Barack Obama has promoted the use of body cameras by police after last year's shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

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