COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners brought a request from the Branch County Sheriff’s Department for eight body cameras for Corrections Officers forward during Thursday’s work session.
Formal action is scheduled to take place next Friday afternoon.
Jail Captain Fred Blankenship told Commissioners they got a quote of over $9,600 from Equature of Southfield, Michigan for the cameras, mountings and software package. There would an annual investment of almost $4,500.
He says the body cameras would reduce liability for the county during use of force incidents and other encounters with inmates and persons under arrest.
Blankenship added they would have the ability for video and audio which he feels is essential for evidence purposes.
The Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority may reimburse the county $250 for each camera.
The video system would be capable of storing video for 90 days.
Union City Village Police recently purchased body cameras. The City of Coldwater has also purchased body cameras for police officers.
“cameras would reduce liability for the county during use of force incidents and other encounters with inmates and persons under arrest.”
The last video the word watched didn’t reduce our liability at all!. To the contrary and we will never know how much the payout on that was.
I might be more inclined to like this idea if they were required to have the body cams on at all times and/or the inmates had them too.