The South Bend Police Department is slowly outfitting the entire police force with body cameras at a rate of four to six officers per day.

35 such cameras have already been out on the streets for several months as part of a pilot project.

All 170 officers should be body cam-equipped by June 1.

“This is a step forward in mutual accountability, transparency, and the ability to get good information out in the aftermath of an incident,” said South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “But it's been something the community has been calling for, and that there's been a lot of interest in the community for some time, so I'm glad we were able to do this. It’s part of a broader context of making sure that the relationship between the community and those in law enforcement is as strong, as well-informed and as close as it possibly can be."

The department is also replacing the squad car dash board cameras it began using in the late 1990s.