A contract to supply body cameras to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department was approved this week.
On Tuesday (February 28), the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Axon for the hardware, software, and data storage needed to equip stations around the county, including the Morongo Basin Station, with body cameras.
Axon is a Scottsdale, AZ based policing technology company, credited with inventing the TASER, and currently providing body camera equipment to agencies around the globe. A pilot program carried out in 2018 resulted in positive feedback from both Sheriff’s Deputies and members of the public.
Since that pilot program five years ago, a number of issues related to technology and infrastructure were resolved, and Axon’s proposal for supplying body cameras was approved. Body cameras are able to provide an additional viewpoint to law enforcement encounters, which helps to hold Deputies accountable and provide evidence in criminal cases.
Body cameras will be deployed first to Patrol Divisions, which includes deputies, detectives, and supervisors.
Eventually the department will provide body cameras to the Corrections Division and other specialized units.
