Davis Police Department FY 23 Body-worn Camera Implementation Proposal

The Davis Police Department in the City of Davis, Yolo County, California, is seeking funds through
the BJA FY23 Body-worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to expand the existing BWC
implementation program and greatly improve the process of sharing BWC footage as digital evidence,
internal review of use of force incidents, and utilizing the footage as an effective tool in officer
training.
The department’s current BWC system was first piloted and implemented in 2014. With grant funding,
the department proposes to replace the existing outdated and aging technology and expand the
program, by purchasing 65 BWCs and 15 in-car cameras, as well as video evidence storage. There is a
critical, urgent need to replace the aging equipment if the department is to continue to fulfill the
mission and purpose of the BWC program: to assist officers in the field during the performance of
their duties, to promote transparency and accountability, and to assist in collecting evidence for use in
criminal investigations and prosecutions.
The Davis Police Department relies on BWC technology to ensure public trust and hold criminals,
particularly violent criminals, accountable for their illegal activities. In the last several years, the City
of Davis has worked to put into place BWC procedures and policies that provide accountability,
protect privacy, and promote transparency, community trust, and public input.
The goal of the Davis Police Department BJA FY23 Body-worn Camera Implementation proposal is
to improve access to and facilitate sharing of BWC footage by the department to investigators,
prosecutors, and the community. If funded, the project would accomplish the following objectives:
(1) Improve the management, sharing, and integration of digital evidence generated from BWCs to
investigators. (2) Optimize how prosecutors leverage BWC footage to improve outcomes. (3) Improve
use of BWC footage in officer trainings to increase community policing practices and improve
community-police relations.
This implementation plan will meet the goal of this proposed project and will demonstrate a
comprehensive commitment to utilizing digital evidence as a critical tool that reduces crime and
supports criminal prosecutions, improves officer and public safety, improves training of officers and
officer-community relations, and promotes the hallmarks of community policing, including
transparency, oversight, and trust.