A plan to distribute cameras to San Diego police officers to record interactions with the public received strong support from a City Council committee meeting. City officials hope the cameras, which can be worn on an officer?s uniform, will prevent some of the problems that have plagued the department in recent years, including alleged sexual misconduct. They can also protect officers from false claims of abuse.

Financial staff recommended to the council?s Budget Committee that $2 million be set aside from the program. It was one of several suggestions on how to spend part of a $50.8 million budget surplus projected for the end of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said the uniform cameras will demonstrate to the public that the City Council is serious about dealing with the SDPD?s problems.

Around 10 of the cameras are currently in use by Central Division officers so the SDPD can identify the kind of infrastructure requirements ? like data storage ? that will exist for a full-scale rollout.

?It has to be implemented correctly, we want it to work,? Mayor-elect Kevin Faulconer said. ?We don?t want to put cameras on everybody and not have it work, not have it sync up, and not have the IT available to do that.?