Local law enforcement using body cams

Bannock, Bingham and Bonneville counties are all at different stages when it comes to equipping their deputies with body cameras. But one of them has had them for several years.

Bannock County has had body cameras for every deputy for the past two to three years. Deputy Jon Everson said there are several different kinds of cameras to choose from, and law enforcement has to change with the times.

“When the public changes and crime changes, we constantly change what we have to with equipment and things like that, to keep up or to be ahead of them,” Everson said.

The body cameras Bannock County has are small, about the size of a pager, and turn on by simply sliding the cover off the lens.

“Basically all it is is just a simple clip on the back and it will clip on anything,” he said. “We can also use a tie pin. It has a pin that it will clip to the shirt if we don’t have this vest on.”

Everson said the body camera doesn’t just hold officers accountable.

“Some people tell you something that’s really very important to our case,” he said. “A lot of time they’ll come back and say, ‘Well I didn’t say that or I didn’t do this or I didn’t do this. But it’s tough to dispute what audio and video shows.”

Everson said in the past they have had still cameras to capture evidence at a scene, and in-car video cameras. While officers had audio captured on the car camera, it wasn’t very helpful if the officer had to step off-screen.

Everson says this has helped provide better evidence in prosecuted cases, and also helps officers train better by looking at situations after they happen.

“Should we always start a job with high ethics, high honesty, integrity?” Everson said. “Absolutely. But this keeps us basically where we should be.”

Bingham County ordered 30 body cameras several weeks ago, and expect the order to arrive in about two months. Sheriff Craig Rowland said the cameras are small but pack a big expense – $900 per camera. But he said they were able to use money from the Department of Homeland Security to cover the $27,000 expense.

Meanwhile, Bonneville County is currently testing different kinds of cameras. The county said it is looking at which kind will best suit their needs, saying there are body, head and glasses cameras they’re looking at. The county said it is also important to remember it’s not just the cost of the cameras, but the storage in their databases needed to store all the extra footage they will gather.

Both counties both said they feel the cameras are important for officers and the public, and said they will show things as their law enforcement officers see them.