Douglas County Sheriff's deputies to start wearing body cameras
Submitted by paula on Wed, 06/27/2018 - 5:15pm
Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) will begin a phased roll out to all uniformed officers on body worn cameras on Thursday, June 28, 2018.
In May, 2017, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 176, making the state the second one in the country to require peace officers who interact with the public to wear body worn cameras (BWC).
“Body cameras will protect law enforcement officials and strengthen the relationships with those in the communities in which they serve,” said Governor Sandoval at the time.
When DCSO Undersheriff Paul Howell learned about the upcoming mandate in 2016 he began preparing and formed a committee comprised of several employees, prepared a feasibility study, tested several products from various body camera companies and developed Sheriff’s Office policies for implementation and use of the cameras.
A five year contract was awarded to Axon Enterprises on April 17, 2018 by the Douglas County Commissioners for a cost of a cost of $573k and includes the cost of a systems administrator who will oversee the storage and dissemination of the data.
Axon Body 2 Cameras are being deployed to the 107 uniformed deputies, investigators, sworn jail personnel or those deputies who interact with the public or make enforcement decisions.
“This is a big moment in our history and we are excited to accomplish the mandate,” said Sheriff Ron Pierini. The use of body cameras has drawn attention in recent years across the nation in heated debates about policing and the excessive use of force.
“Although our relationship with our community is great, and much different than those in metropolitan cities, body cameras will benefit those sworn officers who work in those cities, and bring clarity to those encounters," added Pierini. "Our agency will benefit in the use of body cameras by decreasing the amount of employee conduct complaints, and assist us in procuring evidence in criminal cases. It will reduce the amount of conflicting reports from those involved. It will capture first hand demeanor, injuries and immediate reactions in these cases. We are excited about this roll out of the cameras.”
Video footage may be available to the public if the requested video meets the requirements for release pursuant to Nevada Public Records law and is subject to all release requirements and provisions as defined in Nevada Revised Statues 219.830.
The person requesting the video will be charged $23.00 per hour to edit, redact, and prepare the video for release. An additional fee will be charged for the storage medium on which the video is placed. The additional fee will be equal to the Sheriff’s Office cost for the storage medium. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will not accept a storage device supplied by the public. The storage medium fee can be waived if the recipient can receive the video via an email link.
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