TAMPA Fla. — Hundreds of Tampa Police officers could soon be wearing body cameras.
- Tampa mayor requests federal funds for body cams
- The program would cost more than $2 million
- Officers could be wearing body cameras by fall
- More Hillsborough County headlines
The Tampa Police Department implemented a pilot program in 2015. The program equipped a small group of officers with body cameras.
Now, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has requested federal dollars for 600 more body cameras. Castor was also the police chief for Tampa from 2009 to 2015.
"It's important for the community," Castor said. "They expect transparency in their police department. I think it's important for the police department too because the officers want the community to know what their job entails when they go out and serve the public every day."
The federal grant would provide $300,000 for body cameras. The city of Tampa would have to come up with the rest of the money to implement the program.
The total would be more than $2 million.
"We're going to have to find the funding from some other source, whether it's through our budget or another source," Castor said.
Tampa leaders will find out in September whether the city will receive the federal grant. Castor said she is optimistic.
If approved, hundreds of officers could be required to wear body cameras by the fall.