New York City Public Advocate Letitia James wants officers to wear body cameras to ward off misconduct in the wake of the death of a man who died last month from a police chokehold.
James on Monday called for a pilot program to put body-worn cameras on patrol officers in 15 percent of the city's precincts, with the eventual goal of outfitting all patrol with the cameras, The Associated Press reported.
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"We are living in an increasingly technological world, and we should take measures to incorporate video cameras into policing to improve public safety," James said.
Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered some patrol officers to wear the cameras in a pilot program in her 2013 stop-and-frisk ruling.
A police spokeswoman said Monday that the department is exploring the feasibility of camera technology.
But Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch says his union wants to see evidence of the cameras' effectiveness.
James said the body cameras could put a dent in the $152 million the city paid to settle claims of police misconduct in 2013.
Lynch countered that the city "refuses to fight even the most ridiculous and baseless of the claims."
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