Frederick Sheriffs To Start 12-Month Body Cam Trial
FREDERICK, Md (WJZ) -- The Frederick County Sherriff's Office (FCSO) is implementing a 12-month trial in which deputies will wear body cameras.
The trial will begin on Jan. 19 and will precede the state-wide police officer body camera mandate set to be in effect in Maryland by 2025.
"Now that state law has mandated body-worn camera systems, I want to make sure that we get it right as we establish our program," FCSO Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said. "These trials give us time to make the appropriate decisions on the technology, how we deploy and wear the body cams, and policies about their use by deputies and the potential release of footage when requested. I do have to remind the public that this will be an extremely expensive program in terms of technology costs and additional staffing for all agencies by state and local governments."
These new changes will affect approximately 190 FCSO deputies and 25 Special Police Officers, split across six different patrol teams.
One patrol team at a time will test the cameras and the software, rotating throughout the 12-month period.
