The sheriff’s office of Prince George's County announced that it plans to equip its entire fleet with body cameras.
During a press conference on Thursday, April 5, the Prince George’s County sheriff’s office announced that the department was recently awarded a certification by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. As a result, the county’s Lieutenant Sheriff Brian Endlich revealed plans for a rollout of a new Body Worn Camera Program. The new program will equip 150 deputies with body cameras as soon as possible, while the remaining 264 P.G. deputies will be provided with cameras by June of next year.
Body Worn Cameras serve two main functions. One is to help to protect law enforcement officers who often deal with potentially violent and hostile situations as citizens know that they are being recorded. The secondary function of the cameras helps in measuring the performance of on-duty officers. Unbeknown to most, sheriffs in all jurisdictions often serve criminal warrants, as well as deal with evictions and other duties in which the likelihood of violence and potential danger is rather high. The cameras can help to provide evidence of what transpires in such circumstances. The county’s Domestic Violence Unit will be the first to get the cameras as deputies responding to such calls have the greatest need.
Deputies will, however, have to receive training on how to use the cameras as part of the rollout process. Prince George's County police also have started to phase in the use of the cameras as well. Once the rollouts are complete, nearly 2,000 county law enforcement officers will wear the body cameras while on duty.
