COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies may soon be wearing body cameras on patrol.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved a motion Tuesday to redirect $2.5 million into the sheriff’s office’s capital fund to purchase and use enough cameras for its 175 patrol deputies.
“We’ve always said we’d have a system in place as soon as we possibly could, and so the dollars are now being transferred and we expect this will be taken care of in short order,” said Commissioner John O’Grady.
O’Grady explained the sheriff was the one who initially broached the topic of body cameras in early 2020. The initiative grew more urgent after public outcry in the wake of the death of Casey Goodson, Jr. Police say the 23-year-old was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputy Jason Meade. Meade was not wearing a body camera and investigators currently have not identified any other eyewitnesses.
Following the shooting, Columbus NAACP Branch president Nana Jones said she contacted O’Grady directly to discuss the use of body cameras. Jones said she was pleased with the Board’s decision to allocate funding.
She referred to an official statement about the Goodson shooting issued December 8:
“Branch officials are closely monitoring this investigation as it unfolds. The Columbus NAACP continues to advocate for greater transparency, documentation and we demand accountability for those who are responsible for protecting the community. We call on the community to act calmly and responsibly as justice is sought.”
The $2.5 million in funding for the body cameras is based on several price quotes obtained by the Sheriff’s Office. The county administrator said the funding may be adjusted after the sheriff settles specific camera models and figures out storage logistics, necessary training and any additional costs.
“It’s just not a ‘Hey, let’s go to the camera store and buy some cameras.’ It’s a major undertaking,” explained O’Grady.
The Board acknowledged the next steps, including finding a vendor and figuring out logistics, are up to the Sheriff’s Office.
Commissioner Kevin Boyce said, “We don’t have the authority to just force the Sheriff to just have them. The only thing we can do is put the money on the table to say, ‘it’s here and available.’”
Boyce and others stressed the importance including public input and formulating policies for how the cameras will be used, who has access to them and when they are public record.
“They have to be used appropriately and the public have confidence in a process that has been set up for their use,” said county administrator Kenneth Wilson.
The county hopes to equip all 175 patrol deputies in 2021.
