Governor DeWine supports law enforcement agencies in upgrading body camera programs

WHIO Staff
·2 min read
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A total of 112 law enforcement agencies will receive nearly $4.9 million in grants from the state as part of the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant program announced today by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

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The grants will assist law enforcement agencies across Ohio in covering costs associated with body camera programs, according to a spokesperson with Governor DeWine’s office. This is the second round of funding awarded as a part of this program.

Of those 112 agencies, 44 of them will use the money to create new body-worn camera programs, and 68 of those agencies will use the grants toward expanding or upgrading technology they already use, the spokesperson said.

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The first round of funding provided help for law enforcement agencies to buy around 1,700 body cameras and related equipment, the spokesperson said in a media release shared with News Center 7.

This program is a part of Governor DeWine’s efforts to ensure Ohio’s law enforcement agencies are able to use body camera technology, the spokesperson said. The program was launched in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly in the state’s 2022-2023 operating budget.

“Body cameras are an essential tool for policing, and the funds we’re awarding today will help agencies purchase around 1,660 new body cameras and associated technology,” Governor DeWine said in the media release. “Body cameras are important not only for providing transparency to the public but also for adding an extra layer of protection for our officers.”

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Ohio’s Office of Criminal Justice Services received $11.4 million worth of grant requests for the second round of funding, the spokesperson said.

The local departments that will receive funding are as follows:

  • New Bremen Police Department

  • Butler County Sheriff’s Office

  • Fairfield Twp. Police Department

  • Middletown Police

  • West Chester Police Department

  • Mechanicsburg Police Department

  • St. Paris Police Department

  • Springfield Police Department

  • Xenia Police Department

  • Beavercreek Police Department

  • Yellow Springs Police Department

  • Bellefontaine Police Department

  • City of Troy

  • Butler Twp. Police Department

  • Jackson Twp.

  • Sidney Police Department

  • Clearcreek Twp. Police Department