WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, U.S. Sen. Chris
Coons, Sen. Tom Carper, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Attorney General Kathy
Jennings applauded a $630,000 federal grant to fund the Wilmington Police
Department's body-worn camera program.
Earlier this year, members of the congressional
delegation wrote letters to the U.S. Department of Justice's
Bureau of Justice Assistance, signaling their support of WPD's application for the Fiscal Year 2020
Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement
Agencies.
"The Department of Justice's $630,000 award to help fund the Wilmington
Police Department's body-worn camera program is one of many deliberate
investments essential to building mutual trust between law enforcement and more
importantly, the communities that they serve," said Sen. Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary
Committee and Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. "The residents
of Wilmington and officers with WPD deserve enhancements to policing operations
that strengthen accountability, trust, and transparency. Time after time, our
nation has witnessed tragedies that have resulted in the unfortunate loss of
lives, particularly in Black and Brown communities, and these body-worn cameras
will serve as an invaluable tool for justice."
"It's clear that body-worn cameras help law
enforcement gain the community's trust through transparency in policing, and
Delaware's congressional delegation worked hard to get this funding from the
U.S. Department of Justice to ensure every officer has this technology," said
Sen. Carper. "We heard from constituents loud and clear – this is a
necessary tool in the toolbox for our law enforcement that will assist the
Wilmington Police Department in advancing relations between law enforcement,
our city’s residents, and the surrounding region."
"As part of the social justice movement across the country, we've been
forced to confront the way that we police our communities and neighborhoods.
One of the most effective and widely accepted policy solutions to help improve
policing is the use of body-worn cameras. We've already taken action at the
federal level through the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
and have been working with our local partners," said Rep. Blunt
Rochester. "In working with the City, community members, and police
agencies, everyone agreed that the use of body-worn cameras would help improve
outcomes. I want to thank Mayor Purzycki and Chief Tracy for their leadership
in establishing the program in Wilmington and am grateful that at a time when
the City is facing revenue challenges, the federal government can help provide
resources for this critical program. I look forward to continuing to work with
the City and with police agencies across the State to further the use of body-worn
cameras in Delaware."
"This is a great day for Wilmington," said
Attorney General Jennings. "Body cameras will make a real difference
in our City, and Chief Tracy, Mayor Purzycki, and our congressional delegation
deserve enormous credit for securing this funding. The next step is clear:
funding and deploying body-worn cameras on every officer across our State – and
I am grateful for Wilmington’s leadership by example."