GREEN BAY, Wis (NBC 26) -- Green bay police officers will soon be equipped with body cameras. The decision was made on Tuesday night after the Green Bay city council unanimously approved the decision. But the purchase, likely wouldn't have happened without the Green Bay Packer's financial support.
For more than five years Green Bay's police chief Andrew Smith, says his department has been trying to crunch the numbers and come up with a way to afford body cameras for all of his officers.
"We just couldn't afford it. We tried many different ways through the city to try and fund it and we just could not afford to make that kind of investment."
The estimated cost for 190 cameras and the data needed to store all of that video for a five-year commitment, was 2.7 million dollars. It was an expense city leaders had a tough time justifying, at least on their own.
"It would not have been possible honestly to move forward as rapidly as we've been able to do without the investment of the Green Bay Packers," said Green Bay's Mayor Eric Genrich.
The Packers decided to help with the cost of the cameras by donating 757-thousand dollars to the Green Bay police department.
"We're really excited about not only how this is going to benefit our police department but the entire community," said Packers President Mark Murphy.
Murphy says his staff and players wanted their organization to do something for the community in light of the social unrest across the country, due in part, to police officers' use of force.
"One of the things we talked about, is it's great to protest and raise issues but we would really like to move to progress.... we also wanted to be able to make an impact and positive change."
By helping with the hefty cost the Packers assisted in getting the Green Bay police department updated tasers, squad cameras, and the data needed to store the video. But more importantly, Chief Smith says it will allow his department to continue building a more open relationship with the community.
"It's going to increase our transparency, it's going to increase the accountability of our officers, not only to me but to the community."
Chief Smith said officers should be wearing cameras by March. Meanwhile, Murphy says the Packers are working with the Brown County Sheriff's office and the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department to help those agencies acquire body cameras as well.
