Members of the Springfield police union will vote on a contract agreement Friday. The deal includes a gradual 13 percent pay raise and — for the first time — police body cameras.
No details have been publicly released, but officials said Springfield would be the largest city in Massachusetts with a wide-ranging body camera program.
Nikita Rogozhkin of Springfield sees many benefits to using body cameras.
"During a trial, it's no longer the police officer's word against the defendant's," he said. "There's video proof of what happened. So I feel like it's a great idea."
Under the new contract, officers would also carry the anti-overdose drug Narcan.
The president of the police union has praised the contract deal, but it must ratified by rank-and-file members. It would also need City Council approval.
