MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota State Patrol says all troopers will be outfitted with new body cameras by June 30, 2022.
The new camera program was funded by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz earlier this year.
State Patrol officials say 40 troopers will begin wearing the new cameras full-time next week. The cameras will be activated during any contact between troopers and the general public, according to a news release.
About 645 troopers, in addition to State Capitol Security officers and Commercial Vehicle Inspectors, will eventually be outfitted with the body-worn cameras. The patrol says a new camera system will also be installed in every trooper's vehicle.
Last year, troopers had 411,316 public interactions, including 325,505 traffic stops and more than 30,000 crashes, according to the release.
The Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, Col. Matt Langer, plans to unveil the new body cameras and detail the plan to deploy them at a news conference Thursday afternoon.