Mayor: All Chicago patrol officers now have body cameras

CHICAGO (AP) - The Chicago Police Department says all patrol officers are now equipped with body cameras.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Sunday the city reached its goal to provide the cameras to more than 7,000 officers one year earlier than originally planned. They say it's the largest deployment of the technology in the U.S.

Emanuel says the cameras are "an essential tool" in the city's efforts to rebuild trust between police and the community. He says they improve transparency and help in investigations and resolving disputes.

The U.S. Justice Department in January issued a scathing report on civil rights abuses by Chicago's police over the years. An investigation began in 2015 after the release of dashcam video showing an officer shoot a black teenager, Laquan McDonald, 16 times.