Ohio County Sheriff’s Department Seeks Updated Body Cameras
Joselyn King Trending
WHEELING -- The Ohio County Sheriff's Department wants to purchase body cameras for deputies that sync with their in-car camera systems, and they are asking county commissioners for additional financial assistance.
The department already has been approved for a federal SRT Body Worn Camera Grant through the U.S. Bureau of Justice, Deputy Maj. Rod Vaught told commissioners this week. The maximum grant award is $2,000 per camera, and the Ohio County Sheriff's Department plans to ask for maximum funding of $60,000 for 30 cameras.
He noted the department most likely will purchase the body cameras from Safely, who is also the vendor for the in-car camera systems in the sheriff's department vehicles. The two systems are compatible and will sync together.
The grant is a one-for-one match, and the county would need to also put up $60,000 over the next three years. But the match could include future purchases and installations of in-car camera systems from Safely for any new cruisers purchased over the next three years, Vaught continued.
"We planned to purchase those anyway," he said.
Last spring, county commissioners reached a legal settlement with deputies that granted them a 23% wage increase retroactive to the start of this year. Since then, commissioners have been scrutinizing purchase requests from the sheriff's department.
Sheriff Tom Howard and deputies have asked commissioners for help in purchasing 60 new weapons for the department at $72,000.
There are 32 deputies who use weapons, Vaught told commissioners last month.
The department also would like to replace nine vehicles with more than 100,000 miles on them with Chevy Tahoes. The sheriff's department fleet consists of about 50 vehicles, including those used by deputies serving as detectives and court bailiffs.
Additionally, the department would like to purchase 10 laptop computers at a cost of $2,000 for use by deputies on patrol.
Commissioners this week asked Vaught why 30 body cameras were needed, as that exceeds the number of deputies who patrol. He explained there needs to be extra on hand in the event other deputies are called upon to cover an event such as a football game.
They next asked why a new in-car camera system must be installed in every new vehicle, and why an existing one can't just be removed from an older vehicle and switched over.
Vaught explained the camera system's equipment and the parts needed for it become dated and obsolete over time.
"It's like a cellphone -- you may not be able to get a phone charger for it if you have an older cell phone," he said. "If the system starts to break down, I can't get replacement parts because the ones I have now are four generations past the current model. They don't make them anymore."
He said current patrol vehicles are lasting up to seven years with their current camera systems.
Vaught estimated that each in-car camera system comes at a cost of $3,500, plus at least another $1,000 for installation.
A requirement for the body camera grant is that the sheriff's department establish and submit a written policy pertaining to their use. Commissioners suggested that County Solicitor Don Tennant, also a criminal defense attorney, review the policy.