At Tuesday’s Grayson County Fiscal Court meeting, Sheriff Norman Chaffins requested approval from magistrates to purchase body cameras for his deputies.
“Number one, it’s officer safety, it’s transparency,” Chaffins said. “It benefits the officers, it benefits the public and eventually, it’s going to get to that point anyway. We’re just trying to get ahead of the ballgame. I think it’s a good thing for the community for them to have body cameras, especially for safety issues.”
Chaffins said the $62,000 purchase includes a unique and beneficial package that allows him to see in real time what’s happening during crucial events.
“If they’re involved in a critical incident, I will have the means, wherever I am at, I can actually access their body cameras to see live (what’s happening) so I can do what I need to do as far as more manpower or get someone to them or whatever we need to do,” the sheriff said.
The sheriff’s office a few years ago, in trial, armed several deputies with body cameras which served to convince Chaffins of the importance of his deputies wearing the cameras.
The $62,000 purchase price includes 12 body cameras, the aforementioned live feed capability, as well as programs needed for the cameras to operate, evidence storage for camera footage (which Chaffins said is the most costly feature) and a maintenance program.
Fiscal Court unanimously approved the purchase.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
