Grant from Madison Community Foundation to Accelerate Police Body-Cam Deployment
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2026
Today, the City of Madison and Madison Community Foundation announced a plan that will accelerate the implementation of body-worn cameras for the Madison Police Department. In this plan, Madison Community Foundation will award the City a $350,000 grant to cover the software and civilian personnel costs associated with implementing the program, removing a financial barrier and accelerating the current three-year plan to achieve a full rollout in 2027.
Body-worn cameras have been discussed in Madison for more than a decade. Madison Police Chief John Patterson has indicated this is his number one priority for his department. Many alders have also communicated their support for body-worn cameras even before the recent death in July of Corey Durell Ruiz during an encounter with Madison police.
“As the community's foundation, we try to identify needs and opportunities where philanthropy can make a meaningful impact, and utilize our resources to do so," said Bob Sorge, President and CEO of Madison Community Foundation. “In this case, the community has made clear that greater transparency in interactions between police and residents is crucial to building trust. The City and Madison Police Department had already created a path forward, but cost was a significant barrier limiting how quickly they could act. We saw an opportunity for MCF to help."
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway had included funding in her Executive Capital Budget to phase in a body-worn camera program for the Madison Police Department over three years, beginning in 2027. The funding from Madison Community Foundation will accelerate the rollout so that all public-facing officers can be equipped with cameras by the end of 2027.
“I sincerely appreciate Madison Community Foundation for seeing a need in the community and working with the City to advance this shared goal," said Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “Every municipality in Wisconsin faces tough choices due to state restrictions on spending. This grant gives the City time to annualize this program's costs without having to delay full implementation. Thank you to the Madison Community Foundation for offering to be part of the solution."
“Body-worn cameras are an essential tool in modern policing and will help support our department's values of transparency and accountability," said Police Chief John Patterson. “We thank the Madison Community Foundation for their generous support and for listening to what our community wants."
With this operating funding removing the barrier to implementation, Mayor Rhodes-Conway will propose an amendment to the City's 2027 capital budget to provide the required match for a federal grant to fund the purchase of the full complement of body-worn cameras in 2027. The Police Department is preparing an application for that grant now.