BOSTON (WHDH) - Testimony continued Wednesday in the battle between the city of Boston and the police union over body cameras.
Police Commissioner William Evans, the city and some community groups want officers to wear body cameras while on patrol. Evans said that he is frustrated because he has wanted this program to start for months. The six-month pilot program was supposed to start last week with 100 volunteers wearing the cameras. Since no officers volunteered, 100 officers were randomly chosen to wear cameras. That program was stopped by an injunction filed by the police union.
Patrick Rose, of the Patrolmen’s Association, said officers could be endangered by wearing body cameras. The union wants changes made to the program before it begins.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen when that officer walks out onto the street with that body camera on,” said Rose.
Evans said union members were accused of intimidating officers from signing up for the body camera program, threatening officers with being ostracized if they signed up. He said he wants the infighting within the city’s police department to stop.
“We have delayed this program long enough. I have made a commitment to the community to be as transparent and as accountable as possible,” said Evans.
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