Benton County, WA – Following the passing of House Bill 1223, all law enforcement officers must wear a body cameras while on duty.
Benton County Sheriff’s Office had a meeting open to the public to talk about what camera manufacturer the office had decided to go with as well how the cameras will operate.
Lt. Jason Erickson says, “The red lights on the picture are when the body camera is active. So if you come across a deputy and you see the lights are red, you know that the body camera is on.”
The Axon body camera is always on when the officers are on duty, but they won’t start recording until the sensors send a signal.
For example, the department got new gun holsters that would have a sensor, and whenever the deputy grabs their gun from the holster, it will signal the camera to begin recording.
When the taser gun is turned on, it will also send a signal to the camera to begin recording and when the car lights are turned on, the vehicle dashcam with begin recording.
As for refusal to be recorded, when approaching a deputy, you have to right to refuse being recorded but it all is dependent on the scenario.
The body camera is then uploaded to a website by the deputy with a brief description.
The video will not be edited or copied prior to its upload, and the public does have the ability to request footage.
