Clay County sheriff announces potential $7 million plan to equip all deputies with body-worn cameras

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Florida. – The Clay County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) announced Monday a potential $7 million plan to provide body cameras to all of its deputies over the next five years.

Clay County is the last of the region's major sheriff's offices to implement body cameras.

Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said in a news release that this plan shows her commitment to “enhancing transparency, accountability and safety within law enforcement operations” as body cameras “serve as a crucial tool to promote confidence in the criminal justice system.”

CCSO said it is set to begin testing and evaluation of body-worn camera technology, with full implementation following the evaluation phase. The exact timetable for their implementation has not been published.

MORE: Clay County residents believe the sheriff's office's decision to implement body cameras is a step in the right direction.

Cook said CCSO partners with potential vendors to conduct comprehensive testing of hardware and software solutions. The approach aims to identify the most cost-effective and beneficial option for the agency and the citizens of the county, CCSO said.

“Our decision to implement body-worn cameras underscores our unwavering commitment to fostering transparency, accountability and safety within our communities, while increasing the safety of our deputies,” said Sheriff Michelle Cook. “We recognize that this represents a significant capital investment and therefore we are taking a deliberate and systematic approach to ensure that we select the most effective solution for our agency and our community. We are currently seeking grants to offset some of the costs associated with a body-worn camera program.

The cost of installing the cameras on the 350 deputies currently working for the agency is expected to be about $1.4 million a year over the next five years.

The cost estimate is based on the current price of the cameras the agency is testing as well as the prices of software, storage and services.