The Police Complaints Board urged Washington to install video cameras in police cruisers. The department said it will undertake the expensive project gradually, as funding becomes available.

The independent, five-member board issued the report Thursday to the mayor, the council and the police chief.

The board said cameras can record traffic stops and other police activities. The report said they would increase accountability and protect officers against false allegations of wrongdoing.

"In the past decade, several police departments around the country have adopted programs using mobile video recording technology, or video cameras, mounted in their police cruisers," the report said.

"Although the programs initially encountered some resistance as 'big brother' oversight, departments with successful programs report that video cameras have cut down on litigation and liability costs, as well as improved relationships between officers and citizens during encounters."

Maryland and Virginia state police, in addition to some large suburban departments in the area, have equipped some or all of their patrol cars with cameras. But, as the report notes, for a department the size of Washington's, with about 750 cruisers, such a project could cost millions of dollars.

"The cost of the hardware ranges from $3,900 to $6,300 per car for cameras that do not have wireless uploading capability," the report says. Cameras that upload wirelessly cost $4,500 to $9,000 apiece. There are costs for installation, officer training and data storage.

The report suggests the department to start with cameras in 75 to 150 cruisers. As more money becomes available, the department will move toward installing cameras in all cruisers, the report said.

"It catches law violations on film, creates an objective record of encounters between officers and citizens, and serves as an evidentiary tool in court for both criminal and civil cases," the report says.

Assistant Chief Patrick A. Burke is a member of the complaint board. He said the department wants to equip cruisers with cameras, but will not be doing so soon.

"One of the chief's priorities has been to implement technology for officers," he said. "So incrementally, we'd like to push for more of a presence of in-car video surveillance as well."

Burke added: "The major issue is obviously the budget. These can be some expense. But we're exploring some grant-funded opportunities for the cameras."

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Information from: The Washington Post.