Baltimore Police Vans to be Equipped With Cameras

BALTIMORE, July 2 (UPI) — The Baltimore Police Department announced Wednesday that it will install functional video cameras inside its police vans.

The Department, which has settled many cases of police misconduct through millions of dollars, will also conduct a review of its riot gear since some of it was ineffective during “The Battle of Mondawmin,” where protesting students from a Baltimore high school incited a riot after a SWAT van nearly ran over a group of students. Officers were seen carrying pieces of broken riot shields.

The plans accompany a June report that said all of the Department’s officers will be equipped with body-worn cameras by 2019.

The April death of Freddie Gray, who sustained severe injuries in the back of a police van following his arrest, was not recorded due to the onboard camera being purposed for surveillance. The camera was also broken.