The US Customs and Border Protection agency has allegedly signed a $13 million contract that will equip its officers with body cameras. The announcement comes after years of pressure and lawsuits over immigrant deaths and calls on the agency to boost accountability among its forces. The agency has never used body cameras widely, and will now require the majority of officers to wear them when on duty. The company contracted to provide the cameras is the weapons manufacturer Axon.
More than 3,800 border patrol agents stationed along the Mexican border will receive the cameras by the Spring of 2021. The US Customs and Border Protection Agency hopes that the effort will improve transparency among the agency and promote accountability. The American Civil Liberties Union has previously called on the agency to begin administering cameras, after a string of immigrant deaths involving CBP agents. The agency will likely release more policy details once the cameras are officially deployed next year, hopefully drawing input from NGOs, advocacy groups, and the public.
Read More: This Company Signed A $13 Million Contract To Supply The Border Patrol’s First Body Cams
