Lawmaker Wants Body Cameras for Rhode Island Police

Rep. Joseph S. Almeida calls body cameras "a safety device" for the community and police force

A state legislator and retired police officer says he'll introduce a bill to require Rhode Island police to wear body cameras.

Rep. Joseph S. Almeida called body cameras "a safety device" for the community and the police force that could help improve the relationship and communication between the sides. He says he's following the lead of other states.

Lawmakers across the country are filing legislation in response to the killings by police of unarmed civilians in Ferguson, Missouri, in New York, and elsewhere.

Rep. Raymond Hull says there are privacy issues that would need to be solved. Hull is a police sergeant in Providence. The Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association has voiced concerns, too.

Almeida says police work is consistently evolving and body cameras are part of that evolution. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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