I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Richmond County gets $690K for body cams
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is getting $690,000 in federal money to buy body cameras.
That money comes almost a year after the agency also got $970,392 from the state to buy new body cameras and $284,625 for technology and “proactive policing methods” to combat gun violence.
In addition to body cameras, the $690,000 also go toward charging docks and unlimited data storage to replace the outdated system currently being used, according to U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who discussed the federal grant with News 12.
Sheriff Richard Roundtree applied for this, bringing the request specifically to Ossoff’s office.
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The Democratic Georgia senator says the request was very specific on how many cameras were needed and other specifications.
“I always insist that any local agency I’m helping fund provide those kinds of detailed numbers,” Ossoff said.
In deciding where money like this should go, Ossoff said he looks for “projects that are meticulously budgeted where we have strong competence that can be properly executed.”
The projects also need strong community , he said.
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“One of the things that I always insist on is that applicants for federal appropriations demonstrate and local community for their projects,” he said. “And we saw that in this case.”
Ossoff commended Roundtree for bringing up the proposal.
“The reason that this stood out as something that I wanted to is because I know how powerful body cams are as tools that promote civil rights, ability and public safety,” Ossoff said.
Sen. Ossoff also approved funding for law enforcement officers in Fulton County to purchase body-worn cameras.
Not all law enforcement agencies utilize them, though Senator Ossoff beleives they should.
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“In my view, it should be a matter of state law that every law enforcement agency should have to be equipped with body cams,” Ossoff said. “I think it’s a basic question of transparency. Let’s have a clear record of what happened in these encounters with the public that protects not just the public, but also the officers involved who sometimes are falsely accused of mistreating a member of the public when you have the tape, you can get the truth.”
Right now, Georgia does not have a state law mandating law enforcement officers wear cameras.
At the state level, GBI agents are not required to wear them.
Georgia State Troopers do not wear them, either.
Locally, we see that in the CSRA as well.
For example, Columbia County deputies do not have body-worn cameras.
Sheriff Clay Whittle says if state lawmakers ed a law requiring them, he would be fine with it, as long as the state paid for them and fully funded their maintenance.
He doesn’t want that cost to fall on the citizens.
Only 7 states have laws requiring law enforcement to wear body cameras: Colorado, Connecticut, New Mexico, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina.
We have reached out to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office about the specifics of Sheriff Roundtree’s request. We’ve also asked for a copy of his application and will let you know when we get those details.
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