Body cameras proving to be a good asset

It has been more than a year since we started our body camera program for deputies, and so far the program has been a great success. We had purchased entry level body cameras to pilot the program and see how hard it would be to keep up with data storage and how practical it would be for the deputies to wear and operate them while trying to perform their other tasks.

Over the last year we have had case after case that can be presented to the courts with even better probable cause because the events that took place when the deputy arrived on scene are recorded. Polices have been written that guide the deputy on when the recorders can be turned off, so that privacy can be retained for the citizen. I have always thought body cameras were a good addition as long as they did not become another way for the government to invade someone's privacy.

The cameras serve as a good tool to help monitor the deputy's actions and professionalism and serve as an excellent training resource. This last month we have been looking at better cameras that would offer additional security features such as infrared, and locking features so that videos cannot be deleted from the camera until they are downloaded into the evidence program on a computer. Some cameras even log the GPS location of where the deputy was at during the time of the video.

With the success we have had using body cameras, we currently plan to invest money on better cameras instead of in-car cameras. We have found it is better to see what the deputy is seeing, everywhere, and not just from the car. We have had people file complaints on deputies, only to withdraw their complaint once we told them it was on video, and we have had people contest the accuracy of a report only to find the video backed up what the deputy wrote.

We had a pursuit last year that ended with the driver getting out of the car, and walking toward the deputy with a baseball bat in his hand, causing the deputy to assist the driver to the ground and place him in handcuffs. The driver then began complaining about the use of force from the deputy and said he never had a bat and that it had simply fallen out of the car.

Because of the ability to simply watch the video and see the bat in the driver's hand as he approached the deputy, the deputy was cleared of the accusations of the driver without the Sheriff's Office spending time and resources on an internal investigation. The body camera is what keeps accountability between the deputy and the citizen, and I plan to increase its use for the betterment of our county.