Laurel County Deputies to get body cams
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office has announced that deputies will soon be equipped with body cameras, marking the first time the department has used them.
According to the sheriff’s office, the move comes after a vote last Thursday approved a contract with Motorola for 36 body cameras, which will cost nearly $27,000 per year.
In past years, the department said securing funding for staffing has been a challenge, leaving no resources for body cameras. However, officials say this investment will promote transparency and community trust.
This decision follows growing calls for accountability after London City Police shot and killed 63-year-old Douglas Harless during what his family claims was a wrongful warrant service at the wrong address.
Sheriff John Root addressed the importance of the initiative in a statement:
“Keeping our communities safe is a top priority. These cameras promote transparency and confidence in the community we serve and protect.”
He added, “I am confident that our body camera initiative will continue to engender the trust and confidence of Laurel Countians in the sheriff’s office work.”
The sheriff’s office says that, in addition to patrol deputies, two school resource officers will also receive body cameras as part of the rollout.
