The Department of Justice awarded $19.3 million in grants Monday to dozens of police departments seeking to start using body cameras but turned down a greater number of applicants hoping for federal aid to deploy the technology, reports the Associated Press.
The Justice Department said the grants will go to 73 police agencies in 42 states, helping purchase 21,000 cameras that officers wear on their uniforms to record interactions with citizens. More than 200 other police agencies that applied were passed over for funding for cameras, which are touted as a way to reduce the use of force and clear up questions about disputed encounters.
Those receiving the largest awards of $1 million include Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Florida's Miami-Dade County, Chicago, Detroit, and San Antonio. Other winners include the two largest cities in Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, which each received the $600,000 they were seeking. Among the cities passed over were Des Moines, Iowa; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Indianapolis.