March 23, 2015

 

Hempstead County Sheriff Receives Grant for Body Cameras

 

Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton announced today that his office has received a $4,200.00 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Grant to purchase body cameras for deputies in his department.

 

The funds will be used to purchase 3 body worn cameras which can be used as a mobile camera in the patrol vehicle and can be worn on the deputy’s person.

 

Body-worn cameras will protect deputies from false accusations, reduce agency liability and citizen complaints, and provide evidence for use in court. Unlike vehicle-mounted cameras, the body-worn cameras travel with the deputy when he steps away from the patrol car. They can be attached to a shirt pocket, or integrated with the deputy’s portable radio microphone, and can serve to augment in-car video systems and provide an option to the expensive in-car systems. An in car system can cost as much as $6,000.00. The Body worn system can be purchased for under $1,500.00.

 

The sheriff’s office currently has one deputy who has been testing a body camera since November of 2014, with this grant we will have 4 of our eight patrol deputy’s equipped with cameras. We are currently looking for funding for four more cameras which cost approximately $1,400.00 each.  

 

My goal is to equip all eight patrol deputies with body worn cameras.