MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Division of Police will receive $145,183.35 in grant funding for expenses associated with launching or maintaining body-worn camera programs, according to a Monday afternoon announcement by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Chief Keith Porch announced the MPD went “live” with a phased-in usage of police body cameras on Dec. 6, 2021.
The Mansfield Police Department was one of 109 local law enforcement agencies in Ohio awarded more than $4.7 million in grant funding through this program.
“Body cameras have quickly become a necessary tool for modern policing,” DeWine said. “With these grants, more than four dozen law enforcement agencies that have never had body cameras before will be able to invest in this technology to help protect their officers and offer transparency to the public.”
Ohio’s Body Camera Grant Program
Of the 109 local law enforcement agencies receiving grants, 49 will use funding to create new body-worn camera programs.
The other 60 agencies will dedicate funding toward expanding or upgrading existing technology. In total, this funding will help agencies purchase around 1,700 new body cameras, as well as computer equipment, software, video storage, and more.
DeWine prioritized the creation of the new Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program in the state’s 2022-2023 operating budget, which was passed by the Ohio General Assembly last year. The grant program totals $10 million over the biennium, with the remaining grants to be offered in fiscal year 2023.
Additional body-worn camera funding will also be offered as part of the $250 million that DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly dedicated to law enforcement in December.
“This is just the start of many new ways we’ll be helping law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and innovative programs to fight crime and protect the public,” DeWine said.
