Police officers with the Paterson Police Department will soon be getting new gear – body-worn cameras, part of a pilot program to increase transparency and accountability.

Around two dozen officers will be a part of the first launch.

"When we talk about 21st century policing, it cannot start without body cameras, because considering what happened this past summer, with the murder of George Floyd, people want more transparency and more accountability," says Mayor Andre Sayegh. "Today, we are giving them more transparency and more accountability."

The call to action has been seen more and more nationally, but there are also cases where officers don’t activate their cameras, which means no transparency. A Black Lives Matter organizer in Elizabeth says officers should not have the power to turn them on and off.

"How would that actually bring justice if they have the power to hide their wrongdoings or to hide the abuse that they are treating us?” says Kason Little.

Officers in Paterson are expected to upload footage themselves from the body cameras after their shifts. If the pilot program goes well, it could be expanded.