West Fargo Police Department to being testing body-worn cameras next week.

(Fargo, ND) -- West Fargo's Police Chief says officer wearing body cameras is a step in the right direction. 

"It's a combination of a couple of things. You know I think the transparency piece of it and the trust factor with our community. I think we enjoy a really strong relationship with our citizens and our community out here in West Fargo," said Dennis Otterness.

Otterness says several officers, including school resource officers, will begin testing the cameras next week. 

The goal is to deploy 80 cameras across the department by the end of this year. 

The testing phase now will focus on camera functionality and durability.