The equipment, along with upgrades to their storage servers and in-car camera systems, totaled $111,000, she said.

Although he was unsure of the exact month, East Lansing mayor Nathan Triplett said East Lansing police had placed an order of 10 body cameras, as part of a pilot program, at least several months ago.

An estimated $10,000 was set aside for the project, Triplett said, and if all goes well, the city is looking to spend nearly $30,000 more to equip the entire force.

In October 2014, students outraged at the decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot and killed unarmed black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, marched into the East Lansing Police Department and demanded the use of body cameras for all officers.

Calling it a "win-win" for both police and citizens, Triplett said body cameras provide residents with the confidence that their police force is acting professionally and appropriately and give officers a guard against complaints that falsely claim their actions have not met these standards.

McGlothian-Taylor said echoed the mayor's view, saying that students and officers are benefitted by body cameras, in that they provide more conclusive evidence of what transpired.

"I think this is a positive for both the public and the department," she said.

MSU police have an interim policy in place for how the cameras are used, McGlothian-Taylor said, but was not able to provide specifics. A finalized version will be drafted and implemented once the cameras arrive, she said.

East Lansing police currently are drafting a policy, Triplett said.