Illinois bidding out 20,000 cameras for police

Illinois is taking bids for a supplier to equip 1,000 police officers and another 1,000 patrol cars with mobile cameras.

The Associated Press reports the state is looking to get ahead of the national rush to put cameras on law enforcement in light of controversial police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland.

An Illinois State Police spokesman tells the Associated Press that the bidding process doesn’t mean the state is on track to purchase those cameras, but the bids will set up the framework for a buying process in the future.

Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill in August that supporters say puts Illinois on the forefront of law enforcement/video integration. The law creates the process, infrastructure and revenue stream to put cameras on local and state law enforcement.

It becomes effective January 1st.