November 30, 2022

The Broward State Attorney’s Office has been awarded a grant of $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to support and improve the use of body-worn cameras and digital evidence in our community, State Attorney Harold F. Pryor announced.

The State Attorney’s Office was one of just three prosecutors’ offices in the nation awarded the federal grant this year. The grant money will be provided over a period of three years, ending in September of 2025. https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/awards/15pbja-22-gg-03323-bwcx

“Body-worn cameras and other digital evidence play increasingly important roles in the criminal justice system and we are proud to be at the forefront of this work. We are very grateful for this grant from the federal government. We are also very grateful for the cooperation from our partners in law enforcement and the community to help ensure that we are making the most of these tools to keep our community safe,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said.

The State Attorney’s Office plans to help develop, document and share best practices to improve prosecution decision-making and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes. Plans include creating a body-worn camera task force with representatives from all law enforcement agencies in Broward County, including the Sheriff’s Office, tribal law enforcement officers, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers, and the Florida Highway Patrol.

The goals include developing new policies when needed and sharing promising practices and lessons learned by law enforcement and prosecutors. This should help improve the effective use of digital evidence, prosecutors’ decision-making and case outcomes.

The State Attorney’s Office Digital Evidence Unit has documented an extremely rapid increase in the number of officers using body-worn cameras and in the number of digital evidence files submitted to our office in the last five years. Digital evidence includes photos, audio recordings, 911 audio recordings, transcripts, interview room cameras, Blood Alcohol Testing room cameras, and dash cameras.