It looks like the Monroe County Sheriff's Office is going to get body cameras. Corporal John Helfer, spokesperson for the office, says that the department will probably get 10 to 15 cameras for a pilot program.
"We've been looking into this for two or three years," he says. "There's no specific reason other than it's just another tool for officers."
Police departments across the country have been turning to body-worn cameras to ease tensions with their communities and to help protect the life and safety of both police and the public. Adoption of the technology has picked up in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August.
Helfer says that's it's too early to determine who will get the cameras, how they will be used, and how long the trial period will be. He did say that the department hopes to get the cameras "very soon."
The Monroe County Legislature will consider accepting a $30,000 state grant to fund the program at an upcoming meeting.