Bartholomew County to spend $750k for deputy cameras

Bartholomew County will be spending about three quarters of a million dollars to continue outfitting its deputies with body and vehicle cameras.

County Commissioners approved the five-year contract with Axon for the body and vehicle cameras yesterday, along with video storage and licensing costs for a total of $757 thousand dollars. According to Brandon Slate with the sheriff’s department, next year would be the first year of the new contract at a cost of $127 thousand dollars which includes a discount for the renewal.

Commissioners President Larry Kleinhenz said that he believes the initiative to outfit deputies with cameras began to gather speed after high-profile incidents such as the death of George Floyd and the public uproar. At the time, the commissioners were able to re-allocate about $1 million set aside for courthouse improvements to fund the cameras. Now the county must spend the price to renew the camera contract, he said.

Kleinhenz and Commissioner Carl Lienhoop said that the cameras are a necessity these days and help protect the county from lawsuits and complaints about what happens during an incident.

Commissioners also approved the purchase of 20 new handguns with their sights, a new computer for accident reconstructions and two new sheriff’s vehicles.