TAMPA, Fla. — Sheriff Chad Chronister showed the type of body-worn cameras his deputies soon will be wearing in public.
The cameras were approved by Hillsborough County commissioners in June by a 6-1 vote largely in response to the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Chronister in a news release said the use of body cameras is in an effort to document interactions with the public, "further existing community trust and (to) keep deputies safer."
During a news conference Monday at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Chronister said deputies began training on how to use the body cameras on August 10. Ideally, all 1,000 body cameras will be in use by the end of September, the sheriff said.
The sheriff's office said these cameras, which are mounted to the center of a deputy's chest, will automatically activate when a deputy's firearm or taser is removed from its holster and when the emergency lights are activated on a patrol car. The camera's feed can be live-streamed to supervisors.
“We know that it’s human nature to perceive something one way in the heat of a moment," Chronister said during the news conference. "Having video evidence will provide clarity for everyone involved and hold all parties accountable.”
Chronister told county commissioners he supported the use of body cameras. 10 Investigates found the sheriff's office will join deputies at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office in wearing body cameras; other sheriff's agencies in the Tampa Bay area do not use them.
"I am confident that body-worn cameras will further our commitment at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office of continuing to build trust through transparency," Chronister said in a news release. "This small device will be a big step forward in addressing calls for accountability among law enforcement."
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