ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — St. Louis County officers have body cameras now. So, where's the body cameras for St. Louis city police?
Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed has heard that question many times, and he is also concerned at the lack of movement towards getting officers equipped.
It's been a long time coming, though. Reed tells KMOX's Maria Keena that the Board of Estimate and Apportionment approved a deal to move forward nearly two years ago.
"Data shows that there is more positive interaction between law enforcement and the community at large when body cameras are present and when officers are wearing (them)," Reed said. "That would help our city immensely. I worked to negotiate a one-year free trial agreement, absolutely zero cost to the city, because I wanted to remove that barrier where the argument of us having the funding to do it."
Mayor Lyda Krewson agrees that funding remains the big issue, noting that nothing is free.
"It costs four or five million dollars a year, and over five years, that means $20 million dollars. Frankly, while body cameras can be a benefit to both officers and constituents, we had several other priorities, like new GPS in cars, new cameras in cars...even new cars themselves."
While the county's Proposition P money went towards the body cameras, Krewson says the city needed Prop P money to pay its police and firefighters. In 2018, each officer received a $6,000 raise.
So at this point there are no plans for body cameras in the city of Saint Louis.