NORWOOD, Ohio -- Norwood police will have dash cameras in half of the department's patrol cars thanks to a grant for more than $31,000 awarded to the department.
The grant will cover 75 percent of the costs for the Watchguard Panoramic X2 4RE mobile video systems being installed in the cruisers. The City of Norwood will cover the remaining costs -- a little over $10,000 -- in cash through funds seized from local drug dealers.
The $31,492.50 grant was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Program (JAG). The camera will be installed in six cruisers, allotting for half of the department's fleet. NPD applied for the grant in May 2015.
"Norwood Police entered into this project with the goal of increasing transparency and documentation of officer-citizen encounters," Norwood Police Lt. Ron Murphy said in a press release Tuesday. "These systems, in conjunction with our existing body camera program, will continue to hold our officers to high accountability standards, as well as assist in prosecutions.
