Police Commissioner Bill Bratton announced that he's "actively looking" at equipping police officers with body-worn video cameras, and made the pilot presentation to union officials late last week.

"It's a technology that I support strongly," Bratton said at a news conference. "It's a technology that is needed in America to help deal with so many of the events that we're seeing."

New York Public Advocate Letitia James has called for the implementation of the pilot program since July following the death of Eric Garner, who died when police tried to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes and used a chokehold. That incident was captured on a cell phone video.

"Today's announcement that the NYPD is taking a step toward this goal is an important development. But the success of a pilot program can only be achieved by establishing clear rules and procedures with respect to camera operation and data collection. I look forward to working with the administration to make this proposal a reality," said James said in a statement released to Latin Post.

James released a report on body-worn cameras in July arguing for the ease of their use and documentating street encounters with the public. She argued the cameras could help reduce the costly expense of settling lawsuits filed against the city over police misconduct. Last year alone, the city paid out $152 million in judgments. In a report issued by former Comptroller John Liu in 2012, there were 9,750 tort claims against the NYPD, and payments have increased by 52 percent in the past five years. James has said that money could be better spent on social programs.

James' recommendation is for a pilot program at 15 percent of the city's precincts, those in the highest crime areas and which receive the most complaints about police misconduct and false arrests.

The estimated cost of the pilot program would be $5 million, with citywide implementation of the body worn cameras after the end of the pilot likely to cost $32 million.

"I've been proud to lead the push for equipping NYPD officers with body-worn video cameras because doing so will provide transparency, accountability, and protection for both the police offices and those they serve, while reducing financial losses for the city," said James.

Bratton said he has considered how the police-worn body cameras were implemented in other cities, like Los Angeles, where he served as police chief, and plans to begin the initiative with 50 officers, according to the New York Post.

James debuted a body-worn camera last week.

The prospect of putting body cameras on police officers was introduced last year amid a series of sweeping changes ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin, who ruled that the NYPD intentionally discriminated against blacks and Hispanics with its stop-and-frisk practices. The Bloomberg administration was opposed to the idea, and it was met with resistance from the Patrolmen's Benevolent Fund.

Commission Bratton's announcement comes just 10 days before the New York City Council hearing on the police department review of its training procedures. Bratton promised to do a thorough review on how the department trains its offices and promised substantive changes following the death of Garner. The hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.