Sheriff's Office seeks technology grant

Submitted by Casscounty1 on
By Bobby Horn Jr.
 
CASS COUNTY—The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is hoping that a state grant will help them upgrade the technology the deputies use.
On Feb. 9, Commissioners’ Court authorized Sheriff Larry Rowe to submit a grant application for an “In-Car Video Camera Replacement” project to the Office of Governor, Criminal Justice Division.
Rowe said that he is applying for funds to purchase and install 10 new video cameras in the department’s vehicles. Next year, he said, he would apply for an additional 10 cameras in order to completely refit the fleet.
The cost of the camera and installation is $4,000 each. The grant would pay for 100 percent of the cost, he said.
“Many of the cameras we have are broken or obsolete,” he said. “Some of the deputies have to just use their body cams.”
The department, he said, has found that the use of the cameras not only provides protection for officers but for victims as well. “They help give us another tool for investigations,” he added. 
When a deputy turns on their lights to initiate a traffic stop, the camera automatically starts recording. Rowe said that they can also turn the camera around and turn it on manually when they are transporting a prisoner.
A survey conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police determined that “the in-car camera can improve citizens’ confidence in the police profession, enhance the ability to capture and convict violators, record inappropriate police behavior, and provide valuable data in our efforts to ensure homeland security. It is becoming documented that public safety will benefit from having in-car video cameras available to all police officers.”
In other court action, commissioners designated a 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty truck and a 1998 Chevrolet ½ ton truck as surplus. The county chose not to act on a grant request for a new portable generator, saying that even with matching funds the cost to the county would be too high. 
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