Obama requests $263 million from Congress for police training, body cameras

Obama requests $263 million from Congress for police training, body cameras
(Image credit: iStock)

President Barack Obama requested $263 million from Congress on Monday to go toward body cameras and training for police officers, Reuters reports. The proposal comes in response to civil rights protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after a police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager in August.

Over three years, the money would help purchase 50,000 body cameras. Monitoring police on duty could provide more information about what occurs during situations like Brown's encounter with officer Darren Wilson, where witnesses dispute many details.

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Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.