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Louisville Police, Council Members to Introduce Body Cameras

City officials are encouraging residents to attend a public meeting on Tuesday during which Louisville Metro Police will introduce the body cameras that will soon be worn by some officers.

The meeting comes at the request of Metro Council members Bill Hollander and Tom Owen, Democrats from the council's 9th and 8th districts.

Both council districts cover Louisville Metro Police's Fifth Division, which will host the department's body camera pilot project.

The pilot project is expected to begin later in June. About 100 officers work in the Fifth Division. The pilot program is expected to last about 45 days, and then the body camera program will expand to other divisions, said Chief Steve Conrad. Officers in the Second Division, in west Louisville, will be next to wear the cameras.

Hollander said the meetings will give a chance for officers to demonstrate the cameras and allow residents to ask questions.

“I think body cameras are proven to work very well, but they work because everybody knows the police officers are wearing body cameras," he said. "So, the more that know the police officers are wearing the cameras the better they will work.”

Louisville Metro Police has beenlooking to outfit officers with body cameras since about 2012. Earlier this month, Conrad and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the program's details to the public.

The total cost of the body camera program will be about $2.8 million, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said.
About $950,000 will come from the city’s general fund, about $900,000 will come from a short-term debt note, and about $900,000 will come from federal forfeiture funds, said Daniel Frockt, interim chief financial officer for Louisville Metro.

The public meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Fiels Elementary School in the Crescent Hill neighborhood.

"It's really just an awareness meeting," Hollander said. "Show people what's going on and answer any questions."

Jacob Ryan is the managing editor of the Kentucky Center for Investigative reporting. He's an award-winning investigative reporter who joined LPM in 2014. Email Jacob at jryan@lpm.org.