MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - At the June 2nd Township Board meeting, the Board unanimously voted to allow the Meridian Township Police Department to apply for a grant for body cameras to be worn by on-duty officers.

The U.S. Department of Justice is awarding grants to townships who will help implement their "Body-Worn Camera Pilot Implementation Program." The grant will include the purchase of cameras used by the officers and the training for their proper and effective use.

According to the Department of Justice's grant page, the goal of the grant is to assist agencies in developing, implementing and evaluating a Body-Worn Camera program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem-solving approach. Their goal is to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust.

"The grant is trying to set a standard nationally," said Meridian Township Lieutenant Ken Plaga. "It covers the cost of the cameras, implementing policy, and training."

"Body cameras have been in the news recently, and police departments have had cameras in their cars already," said Trustee John Veenstra. "These cameras are an extension, or an additional view of what is happening with an officer."

A fifty percent match will come from the Township's General Fund Balance, that will not exceed more than $25,000.

The grant does not cover camera footage storage unless it is a packaged service with the vendor that sells the cameras via the grant. If approved, Plaga said the Police Department would receive cameras complete with storage sufficient to save the footage they need. Body camera footage of an on-duty officer, under most conditions, would be subject to a Freedom of Information Act request, or FOIA.

"It's argued this will resolve questions of fact when there is a dispute," said Veenstra. "When a person of the public says one thing and the police officer says another, and there's video of the event, that should help to resolve what actually happened."

Meridian Township Police will now work with the East Lansing Police Department to begin the application process to apply for the grant jointly. The application deadline is June 16, 2015.