LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Earlier this week, Allen County Sheriff's deputies began wearing body cameras for the first time.
The cameras went live Tuesday, months after the county approved a contract covering body-worn cameras and the supporting software. The department is deploying 52 body cameras, which are worn by deputies and field supervisors. Deputies completed training before the cameras went live, and the sheriff's office says the rollout has been ahead of schedule.
The move comes after years of debate over privacy concerns and public access to video. Sheriff Matt Treglia has previously raised questions about how footage recorded inside private homes could be released. He says changes in state law, along with improvements in video redaction technology, helped clear the way for the department to move forward.
"One of the nice things about being one of the last ones with the body cameras is that we were able to do everything the right way, that everybody that we could see it was doing it the wrong way, and we changed our policies and made things a little smoother, a little faster," said Sheriff Treglia.
Deputies' holsters and tasers are equipped with sensors that automatically turn on body cameras when a firearm is drawn or a taser is deployed. The system also activates nearby deputies' cameras within Bluetooth range.
"As soon as the gun comes out of the holster, it will activate your camera everybody within Bluetooth shot around you," said Lt. Corey Hanjora with the Allen County Sheriff's Office. "Same thing with the new tasers that we got - we got Taser 10s, top of the line."
Under Ohio law, agencies may charge up to $75 per hour, with a maximum of $750, to review and redact video footage for public records requests.
