Baltimore Will Put Working Cameras in Police Vans

The Baltimore Police Department is installing video cameras capable of recording in its vans following protests over the April death of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered severe injuries in the back of a police van.

While the van that was carrying 25-year-old Gray had a camera in it, it was only meant for surveillance, not recording, and it was broken. Gray died a week after sustaining spinal injuries in the van.

Gray’s death set off riots in the city resulting in hundreds of injuries and millions of dollars of property damage. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby indicted six officers allegedly involved with Gray’s death. They will be tried in October.

The Baltimore Police Department, which has paid millions of dollars in settlements involving police misconduct in the last several years, will also review its riot gear, some of which failed to work during the spring riots. The city has also pledged to arm every policeman with a body camera by 2019.

[Reuters]