CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said the department is still in the process of testing different body-worn cameras to see which one will be the best fit for its deputies.
This comes after the Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced in late May its deputies started testing body-worn cameras as part of a pilot program.
Clay County is the last of the major sheriff’s offices in the area to implement body cameras.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office recently started testing and evaluating these body-worn cameras to enhance transparency, accountability and safety. This is part of a potential $7-million plan to issue cameras to all its deputies over the next five years.
“Our decision to implement body-worn cameras underscores our unwavering commitment to fostering transparency, accountability, and safety within our communities, while also increasing the safety of our deputies,” stated Sheriff Michelle Cook. “We recognize that this represents a significant investment of capital, and thus, we are taking a deliberate and systematic approach to ensure that we select the most effective solution for our agency and our community. We are currently pursuing grants to offset some of the costs associated with a body-worn camera program.”
MORE | Clay County sheriff announces potential $7M plan to give all deputies body-worn cameras
Sheriff Cook said there were a few issues that needed to be addressed before adding them.
“Why now? I mean, it’s becoming an industry standard, two-thirds of sheriff’s offices in the state have them. It is something that was, you know, always on our radar,” Cook said.
Cook said she had to make sure the department’s foundation was solid before adding this technology.
“When I came in and 2020, we were still doing paper timesheets,” Cook said. “We had to make sure that we were fully staffed, properly staffed and that our IT technology could support this endeavor.”
Now, deputies are testing different models to see which one will be best for the department.
News4JAX asked Cook about the potential protocol in case of an incident involving a deputy.
“I think that’s really dependent upon the incident. You know, I’ve prided myself on being very transparent, responsive. This is a new technology for us. So this will be, you know, baby steps for us. But, you know, I’m very comfortable and releasing what we can when we can. And, you know, I don’t think there’s gonna be a hiccup there. But to say, you know, that if something happens at 11 o’clock tonight, I’m going to be able to release it before the end of the day, I can’t guarantee that, but we’re going to continue to be transparent and responsive to our community,” Cook said.
Cook said they have increased their budget by $1.5 million for the cameras.
She said they are also applying for grants to help with some of the cost.