A Message from Sheriff Troy D. Berry Regarding Body Worn Cameras:
I want to take this opportunity to let you know exactly where we are in terms of body worn cameras for our agency. The bottom line is we want the cameras as soon as possible. In fact, on April 20, 2021, I gave a presentation to the Charles County Board of Commissioners and specifically asked for funding for this program, as we have done over the past years.
As we begin to move forward from the Covid-19 pandemic, we must remain focused on the national conversation relating to police accountability and trust and ensure this program gets underway.
A common misconception is that I have the latitude to control the monies within my budget, but this is not the case. For projects involving large amounts of money, I must receive the approval of our county commissioners not only for funding the cameras, data systems and equipment but I also need approval to hire people qualified to manage the program itself.
With that said, I am hopeful that by working together we can successfully implement a body worn camera program. I urge you to watch this video presentation to the Board of Commissioners and read a letter I sent to them last week. Thank you for your time and support as we work toward enhancing policing while protecting our wonderful communities.
