Cascade County has received a $100,000 federal grant to use toward the purchase of body worn cameras for deputies in the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.
The County Commission voted unanimously during their April 12 meeting to accept the grant, which requires a $100,000 match from the county.
Undersheriff Cory Reeves said during the meeting that the county received three vendor bids for the cameras and associated equipment and training. He said that those bids will be reviewed and scored this week.
He said the plan is to have cameras for all sworn deputies and detention officers doing prisoner transport.
Commissioner Joe Briggs said that “this is something that the commission feels strongly that we need to have these.”
He said the department had body cameras previously, but they were cut, and that he wasn’t happy about that and was glad to have them coming back.
Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said that department had the cameras under the previous sheriff but there were no record retention policies or capabilities. He said the new program will automatically save and download footage within the system.
CCSO planning to purchase body cameras for deputies
Slaughter told The Electric in March that the decision to purchase the cameras came out of project done through the lieutenant selection process that required the candidates to evaluate the implementation of body cameras and address:
- Are body cams necessary? Is it feasible?
- Start-up costs; yearly storage/maintenance costs; data storage?
- Pros vs. cons of having body cameras; compatible with current WatchGuard system?
- Are body cameras desired by our county attorney, deputies, etc.?
- Any legal issues related to your proposal; sample policy?
- Equipment proposed?
CCSO receives additional funding for drug dogs
Slaughter said that the department is working on policies for the use of the cameras and once selected, the company will also come to CCSO and conduct training. He said that they have also been using sample policies from other agencies as a model.
Montana launches Angel Initiative, CCSO first participating agency
CCSO currently has cameras in the patrol vehicles and officials are hopeful they’ll be able to integrate those with the body cameras.
Other sheriffs offices in Montana are already using body cameras, but they aren’t as common in those offices as police departments, Slaughter said.
The Great Falls Police Department does not currently use body cameras.
“Due to the cost of equipment, storage, retention and the other associated costs, it simply is not financially feasible for us at this point. We have no short or medium length plans at this point to go to [body cameras],” GFPD Chief Jeff Newton told The Electric.
CCSO rolls out inmate tablets after COVID delay
The lieutenant work project resulted found it “pretty resounding that it was a good idea that we do it,” Slaughter said.
The purchase will likely require funding beyond the grant, he said.
Slaughter said he goes back and forth on body cameras since the public perception of what they do and are used for isn’t typically accurate, but they do serve a purpose in providing additional information for investigations.
“I think they are an asset,” he said. “The deputies want them and believe in them.”
