Columbus officials say they plan to invest at least $4.5 million in new body-worn cameras for police and require officers to use them correctly. It's part of the city's ongoing efforts to reform and reimagine public safety following the December 23rd fatal shooting of Andre Hill by a Columbus officer who failed to turn on his camera until after the shooting. The new cameras will record without needing officers to activate them and provide better clarity.
"The automatic record features, sync to dashboard cameras, and the enhanced look back feature will deliver the video evidence the city expects and the public demands," Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther said. "Bottom line - if this technology were in place in December, we would have higher resolution video and audio evidence leading up to and including the shooting death of Andre Hill."
The city hopes to begin implementing the new cameras this year. Columbus City Council on Monday plans to introduce a law named after Hill that would ensure officers use the cameras properly and render life-saving aid to anyone shot or injured by police.
