Community Relations: 2023 Body Worn Cameras

The City of Meridian Police Department proposes implementing the Community Relations: 2023
BWCs Program. The purpose is to address community concerns about law enforcement
professionalism and procedures by expanding the current BWC program to include storage of camera footing in Meridian, Mississippi. Project activities include evaluating the Meridian Police
Department's current BWC policy and procedures, focusing on camera usage, storage of digital
evidence, and its use to help adjudicate cases. Expected outcomes include: revising the Meridian
Police Department's current standard operating procedure guide for using BWCs; providing ongoing training to officers on the use of BWCs, as well as lessons learned from camera footage; and purchasing higher-quality cameras for all officers (and storage solutions) that will provide digital evidence in a timely, efficient manner for legal proceedings. The intended beneficiaries of the project include the Meridian community's confidence in Meridian law enforcement officials, the legal system, and the officers of the Meridian Police Department.