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St. Louis Board OKs 1-Year Trial of Police Body Cameras

St. Louis police could be wearing body cameras within 60 to 90 days.

After a contentious meeting Wednesday, the St. Louis Board of Estimate and Apportionment voted to begin a free one-year trial while pursuing a longer contract.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports many details of the contract are not final, including privacy concerns and an agreement with the police union.

During the meeting, board members yelled at each other and the crowd shouted down two board members who expressed concerns with the contract.

Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed said Axon would provide up to 1,300 cameras and other equipment for free for a year. At the end of the year, the city could return the equipment or pay $1,000 per camera to continue using them.

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