LAKELAND – City officials tentatively put aside funds to purchase body-worn cameras for the Lakeland Police Department in the city's upcoming budget.
If the money survives the budget process, Lakeland will become the third city in Polk County to equip its officers with body cameras.
Lakeland commissioners were deeply divided, voting 4-3 to set aside more than $1.4 million in the fiscal year 2022 budget to purchase body cameras and various related equipment without raising the city's tax rate.
Mayor Bill Mutz spearheaded the effort to fund body cameras from the city's general fund.
"This is a human need and departmental protection that I think would be critical. It would be very, very bad for us to miss providing," Mutz said. "We need some unanimity on this, despite the large expense."