WILBRAHAM – The Wilbraham Police Department (WPD) has been awarded $60,326 in grant funding to outfit the department with body-worn cameras, but there’s still a long way to go before the technology hits the street.

On Nov. 18, state Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. announced that the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s (EOPSS) Office of Grants and Research (OGR) had awarded funding to the WPD to create a body-worn camera (BWC) program and implement it.

“I am pleased to support this funding which will enhance the Wilbraham Police Department and make policing safer,” stated Puppolo.

The one-time grant would pay for 28 cameras – one for each officer and a spare. “We were one of the first to have on board cruiser cameras,” said WPD Chief Robert Zollo. “I am not sure about the life of these cameras but the cruiser ones last about 6 years.”
While the most difficult part of many programs is funding them, the BWC program has another component. The town must now negotiate with the police union before the cameras can be purchased.

“We have up to one year to have the town and union agree to this,” said Zollo. “We are in the infancy stage of this grant.”