COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners formally approved a request from the Branch County Sheriff’s Department to purchase eight body cameras for Corrections Officers during Friday’s meeting.
Jail Captain Fred Blankenship told Commissioners during last week’s work session they got a quote of over $9,600 from Equature of Southfield, Michigan for the cameras, mountings and software package. The funds will come from Capital Outlay/Contingencies.
There would an annual investment of almost $4,500 which would be part of the county budget.
Branch County Undersheriff Keith Eichler said they want to have body cameras for their road deputies in the future once they see how these cameras work on the corrections officers.
Commissioners Jon Houtz, Tim Stoll and Leonard Kolcz all supported the idea of road patrol deputies getting body cams sometime in the future.
Blankenship previously said the body cameras would reduce liability for the county during use of force incidents and other encounters with inmates and persons under arrest. He added they would have the ability for video and audio which he feels is essential for evidence purposes.
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