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The city wants to know.
At a Public Safety City Council Subcommittee meeting Monday, Aug. 17, Police Chief Steven Sargent said he wants to hear from the public about the controversial cameras before a final decision is made.
Sargent is in favor of the cameras.
Worcester Police did a six-month police body camera pilot program last year. The city is now considering whether to make the cameras a permanent piece of police equipment.
Proponents of police body cameras say the recording devices provide more security for officers and the people they come in contact with by creating an accurate video of the encounter.
Opponents of the cameras note that the equipment is expensive and the effectiveness of body cameras making everyone safer has not been proven.
Estimates for outfitting Worcester officers with cameras are as high as $9.8 million to $11 million. The funds would pay for the video recorders as well as the training and equipment upgrades within the department that the new devices would require. The cost of the equipment could be lowered, a city councilor noted, by reducing the scope of the program.
Sargent said his department will organize community meetings to gather input on what Worcester residents think of the cameras. The meetings will be held at large venues, he said, to allow for social distancing. The meetings could be well-attended; 30 people showed up (virtually) for the Monday subcommittee meeting.
Councilor-at-Large and Subcommittee Chairwoman Kathleene Toomey penned an order for a cost-benefit analysis of the program. The whole City Council would have to vote “yes” for the analysis to happen.
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