No body cameras for Rockford, Winnebago County police

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - Law enforcement leaders in Winnebago County and Rockford say police-worn body cameras may reduce use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints, but officers won't be getting the cameras anytime soon.

The Rockford Register Star reports (http://bit.ly/2t43qI0 ) officials say purchasing and maintaining the cameras is cost-prohibitive.

Rockford Police Assistant Deputy Chief Doug Pann says distributors will give departments the cameras. But it costs money to store the videos. He says "it's not feasible" for the department to store that data.

Last year the Department of Justice announced it was giving more than $20 million to 106 law enforcement agencies to help with the costs of cameras. But neither Rockford nor Winnebago County received funds.

The cameras have emerged as a tool since a string of highly publicized shootings by police raised concerns.

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Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com