LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia says the time is right for his department to equip deputies with body cameras.
County commissioners approved legislation Thursday to enter into a contract with Axon Enterprises, Inc. for the purchase and software installation of body and patrol cameras, along with tasers that will work in conjunction with the cameras.
Treglia says he had been hesitant to implement body cameras previously due to legislation surrounding how video footage could be requested and used. Changes at the state level, he said, have now made him comfortable moving forward.
“There have been some legislative changes for the body cameras, which allows us to redact things when you're in your private homes and things like that,” Treglia said. “There is still some work to do. Obviously, when I talk about adversarial conflict, that's still in there, and I'd like to discuss that more with legislators. But right now, they're changing things to the point where I think we can start moving forward. This isn't going to be an overnight process. We're not going to get this done tomorrow. However, we are going to start the process now because of these changes.”
Treglia added that the legislative changes also allow the department to charge for video requests.
This approval is the first step in acquiring the equipment. Policies will need to be developed, and deputies will undergo training before the cameras are deployed. The department hopes to have them working in the field by mid to late 2026.
