Boston and Somerville Police Have Body Cameras. Why Doesn’t Cambridge?

In March of 2023, the Cambridge City Council passed a policy order calling on the Cambridge Police Department to acquire body cameras.

A year and a half later, CPD officers are still patrolling the streets without them.

According to the Cambridge Police Patrol Officers Association, negotiations over the union’s contract with the city — which expired on July 1 — took priority over ironing out the details of Body Worn Cameras.

“Due to the complexity of those negotiations, the BWC program was not the main focus during that time,” the CPPOA wrote in a statement. “Now that the successor contract has been filed for arbitration, the CPPOA anticipates shifting focus back to the BWC program.”

Neighboring Massachusetts cities — including Boston and Somerville — have standardized body cameras with positive results for years. A 2020 study by the National Institute of Justice found that body cameras significantly reduced citizen complaints against Boston police and police use of force. Still, Cambridge remains stuck over union negotiations and logistical hurdles.

The move to adopt body cameras has garnered support from state officials, as well. Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 gave nearly $4 million to 52 poolice departments across the state for the purchase of body cameras in 2023.

“This investment reflects our Administration’s commitment to increasing public safety, promoting best practices among law enforcement, and nurturing strong relationships between police and the communities they serve,” Healey wrote in a 2023 press release.

CPD’s 2024 budget saw an increase of approximately $800,000 dedicated to implementing body cameras. In a 2023 interview with The Crimson, CPD Commissioner Christine A. Elow said that a pilot body camera program was “imminent,” but the department had to go through negotiations with the union first.

“We’re moving very aggressively, and I want it as soon as possible,” she said.

The Council’s move towards supporting body cameras came in the months following the police killing of 20-year old Sayed Faisal by a CPD officer. Months of protests brought attention to police reforms including body cameras.

While councilors originally disagreed on the implementation of body cameras — citing potential privacy concerns — the Council eventually agreed to adopt the technology in March of 2023.

This decision was reaffirmed a year later, as Elow committed to adopting body cameras department wide during the 2025 fiscal year.

With eight months left to meet the deadline, the status of body camera adoption remains ambiguous.

CPD spokesperson Robert Goulston wrote in an email that the department “continues to actively negotiate” with the police union “to finalize a body camera policy.”

“We cannot comment specifically on the negotiations,” he wrote. “At the same time, we are moving forward with the procurement of the necessary equipment, so we are ready when everything is finalized.”

According to a spokesperson for the CPPOA, negotiations between the union and the commissioner over body cameras began a little over a year ago. Currently, final policy language and a stipend proposal for the care and maintenance of the devices are under negotiation.

“Those conversations have been mutually positive,” the CCPOA spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Councilor Patty M. Nolan ’80 wrote in an email to The Crimson that she finds it “concerning that the cameras have yet to be deployed.”

“The City Council, the union, the Police Commissioner and the City Manager are all publicly on record as being supportive,” she wrote. “We have not had an update on timing of implementation and any reason for delay.”

—Staff writer Sally E. Edwards can be reached at sally.edwards@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery can be reached at asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @asherjmont or on Threads @asher_montgomery.