LONDON, KY (Monday, Feb. 03, 2025) - The Laurel County, Ky. Fiscal Court is reporting that all deputies, including two school resource officers, will soon be wearing body cameras following an initiative by the Laurel County Fiscal Court and Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
The fiscal court voted during its regular meeting Thursday to approve a contract with Motorola for 36 body cameras and associated storage software for $26,800 per year.
Magistrate Richard Bales, who chairs the Fire Protection and Emergency Services committee, worked with Sheriff John Root and his staff to develop the plan to install body cameras.
“I want to thank Magistrate Bales for reaching out, each and every magistrate and you as well, judge,” Root said at the fiscal court meeting. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of the fiscal court. The cooperation means a lot to us. We wouldn’t have the funding to do it ourselves.”
This will be the first time Laurel County deputies have worn body cameras. Many sheriff and police departments across the state routinely struggle to secure enough funding to maintain necessary staffing levels. They’ve not had enough money for body cameras.
“This is a new era. That’s what every police department is moving toward is body cameras to protect everybody,” Judge-Executive David Westerfield said. “We feel like it was necessary to help the sheriff’s department achieve this goal.”
In a committee meeting on Monday, Sheriff Root explained that the new cameras will record all interactions whether a deputy remembers to turn it on or not. A deputy will be assigned full-time to maintain the data recorded from the cameras and respond to open records requests.
“This will protect our officers and the public,” Westerfield said. “Cameras don’t lie. When something happens it will be easy to pull the footage and see what took place. Then we can know who’s in the right and who’s wrong.”
“Keeping our communities safe is a top priority for the Laurel County Sheriff’s office,” Root said. “Law enforcement is at its most effective when there is accountability and trust between law enforcement and the community. These cameras promote transparency and confidence in the community we serve and protect. 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.”
SOURCE: Laurel County, Ky. Fiscal Court
