Body-Worn Camera Site Spotlight: Jonesboro, Arkansas
Harnessing the Evidentiary Value of Body-Worn Cameras
BWC TTA (2021)
Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a city of 75,000 in the northeastern corner of the state, approximately 70 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. Located within one of the fastest growing counties in Arkansas, Jonesboro is home to Arkansas State University and its 13,000 students. In 2018, Jonesboro PD received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (BWCPIP). According to Assistant Chief Lynn Waterworth, the decision to deploy BWCs came from Chief Rick Elliott’s concern over a breakdown in the relationship between the police department and the community, and [wanting] to re-establish that relationship. The Jonesboro PD also sought to enhance accountability and provide a greater degree of transparency to the community.
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