MACON, Ga. (AP) - Patrol deputies with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office will soon be equipped with body cameras.
The county bought 200 of the wearable cameras from Taser International in June, and representatives from the company will be in Macon this week to train deputies on how to use them, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis told the Macon Telegraph (https://bit.ly/2hgMW6D).
The cameras should be in use by Christmas, Davis said.
“The body camera is really just another witness,” the sheriff said. “We have seen over time since body cameras have become more and more prevalent, even with that, you may not get the whole story. You may not get the whole view of an incident, but you do get one aspect of it.”
The contract with Taser is for $3 million over three years, which covers the cost of maintenance and storage. The cameras were paid for with a $37,600 federal grant, money from the general fund and money seized from gambling raids, Davis said.
“General contact with the public,” such as traffic stops and vehicle pursuits, will be recorded, Lt. Anthony Hubbard said.
Once officers complete their tours of duty, they will place the cameras on docking stations at one of several locations near downtown. From there, the video is automatically uploaded to Taser International’s servers.
Numerous police departments nationwide have installed body cameras in the wake of high-profile police encounters, including the shooting death of an unarmed black 18-year-old man by a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014.
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Information from: The Macon Telegraph, https://www.macontelegraph.com
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