Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez welcomes the support of the NAACP to make body cameras available for the Miami-Dade Police Department

(MIAMI, September 4, 2014) – Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez welcomes the support of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Miami-Dade County Branch. Today, the organization announced its support of the Mayor’s plan to make body cameras available for Miami-Dade County Police Department (MDPD) officers.  The Mayor proposed purchasing 500 real-time mini cameras by 2015, and an additional 500 for phase II, which will include the entire patrolling force.

The small cameras can be worn on lapels, eye glasses, caps and even on the uniform shirt, and ultimately to see what the officer is viewing for real-time live streaming.

“Maintaining public safety and keeping our families and neighborhoods safe has been a top priority of my administration,” said Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.  “Using this technology will instill a greater sense of confidence in our police force and our residents leading to a greater level of cooperation and understanding between citizens and police.”

“The NAACP is proud to support the effort to equip the Miami-Dade Police Department officers with body camera technology. This initiative would help to protect our community members and police officers alike,” said Adora Obi Nweze, President, NAACP Miami-Dade County Branch. “The Miami-Dade County Branch of the NAACP will always support efforts to make our communities a safer place for all. Let us not wait until another incident, like the one in Ferguson, occurs to act. While we cannot change the past, we can work together to make the future a safer one for us all.”

MDPD Director JD Patterson supports the purchase of the latest technologies that will make the department more efficient and will enhance investigations.  Director Patterson believes that the body cameras, “provide the Department with an ability to review incidents for officer safety and training.” 

MDPD is currently developing a real time crime center and hopes to integrate the body cameras into the 911 center for live streaming during emergencies. 

MDPD is charged with the safety of one of the largest municipal areas in the country, utilizing approximately 2,700 sworn officers.  Miami-Dade County is home to more than 2.5 million residents. 

Mayor Gimenez has allocated $1 million for the initial purchase of the cameras in his Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-2015.  The police department piloted several versions of the body cameras and will soon move forward with the procurement process.  

“We look forward to the day when our patrol officers are completely outfitted with the latest technologies, including body cameras,” said Director Patterson.