SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT BODY CAMERAS

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons wants to equip his deputies with body cameras. Simmons appeared Thursday morning before the Escambia County Commission looking to make good on a campaign promise to equip the entire Departmnt with body cameras. The Sheriff’s Office is one of the only remaining law enforcement agencies in the region not to use body cameras. Simmons said he would use the Law Enforcement Trust Fund to pay for the needed data storage to set up a body camera system, but hopes Commissioners will approve spending $912,727 on 268 body cameras with money from CARES Act funds.  Commissioners agreed to support buying cameras for deputies, but were divided on whether to use CARES Act funds and a majority said they wanted more time to figure out how to pay for the purchase. They asked for the item to come back in March for a vote.