State Patrol completes bodycam equipment rollout

(FOX 9) - A statewide program to equip Minnesota State Patrol officers and their vehicles with recording equipment has been completed, according to an official announcement. 

The statewide rollout of the Body Camera Project began Dec. 1, 2021, and in total the agency issued 705 body cameras and installed car camera systems in 644 vehicles. The project was completed on-time and within the projected budget, according to the announcement.

"Although we’d like to think every state trooper is perfect, we are human beings just like everyone else. Capturing interactions on body-worn cameras will help hold everyone accountable because they provide a record of what actually occurred between the trooper and the member of the public," Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol said in a statement.

Since the start of the project, the agency has captured more than 281,680 pieces of video evidence, which equates to 60,631.44 hours of video. In the last month alone troopers captured a total of 19,840.93 hours of video.

However, in many disputes it’s up to the subject to release bodycam footage to the public.