Seven years after campaign promise, Ottawa County lacks body cameras

OTTAWA COUNTY — Nearly seven years since the candidate to run Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said he intended to add body cameras, the department still doesn’t have the technology installed.

After then-Undersheriff Steve Kempker won the primary for Ottawa County Sheriff in 2016, he told WOOD TV-8 he wanted body cameras in place by 2017. Ottawa County would have been among the first sheriff’s departments in the state to use them.

More: Man, 28, dead after officer-involved shooting in Ottawa County

But that never happened. As body cameras have become the norm for many departments, Ottawa County has fallen behind.

Kempker told WOOD TV-8 in 2016 he was “100 percent” supporting the effort, estimating there'd be 100 body cameras and 80 in-car cameras, although he conceded it would take time to put the program in place.

The Ottawa County Administrator’s Office also told WOOD TV-8 in 2016 it earmarked $1 million for the project whenever it moves forward.

But OCSO never got the money it needed, stalling the project.

“The fact that any police department at this point is saying they do not have body-worn cameras, dashcams and are essentially taking their time with acquiring those items, to me that sounds very dubious and very questionable,” said Carlton Mayers II, legal counsel for the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP.

Just over two years ago, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners took some action, approving more than $84,000 in the annual budget for a “body camera technical specialist.”

Kempker told WOOD TV-8 on Sunday the body camera project is underway “but has not been deployed.”

“Partial funding was in place to hire a manager for the system who is in place,” Kempker wrote. “We are working with the county, as this is a very large project.”

Kempker added the department needs equipment and personnel to run the system, handle the data and fill FOIA requests.

“Somebody, before it’s released, has to sit and watch it,” Kempker said. “(Are) there certain things that have to be ruled out, like the face of a juvenile or a license plate?"

On Monday, WOOD TV-8 emailed, texted and stopped by OCSO, asking about a timeline. The outlet didn't immediately hear back.

Because of the lack of body cameras, the deadly shooting of a man by an Ottawa County deputy in Jenison on Saturday, June 10, wasn't captured on video.

OCSO said, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, an armed 28-year-old man threatened to kill himself and others.

When deputies made contact with the man in Georgetown Township, a deputy shot him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. OCSO has yet to release additional information on what led to the shooting.

“We need more than just an officer’s story,” Mayers said. “We need more than just a witness account; we also need the video footage. There’s just way too much opportunity for this law enforcement agency to be able to purchase the footage, hire the staff and be able to afford the retention of that footage.”

The deputy is now on administrative leave while the Michigan State Police handles the investigation, both standard protocol.

Mayers questioned why Ottawa County still isn’t using body cameras when its neighbors have been doing so for years.

“(There’s) this slow walking essentially of purchasing and utilizing body-worn cameras even though your next-door neighbors have been doing this for some years now successfully,” he said.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office started testing body cameras in April 2020, according to KCSO Sgt. Eric Brunner. By that September, the county designated $2.2 million for the cameras, which were rolled out that October.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office spent $825,000 in October 2020 for body cameras. Deputies started using them in just six weeks, according to Undersheriff Jim VanDyken.

Deputies in Allegan County wear body cameras as well, as of September 2022. The city of Zeeland rolled out body cameras for its officers in 2020, while the city of Holland committed funds to implement body cameras in the spring of 2021.

More: Body cameras for police viewed mostly favorably, but there are barriers for some departments

Mayers argued body cameras are necessary to get the full story.

“Having body-worn camera footage, dashcam footage, surveillance footage, eyewitness accounts, camera phones … as much of that footage that can be provided as possible will give you a clear view about what really happened."

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Seven years after campaign promise, Ottawa County lacks body cameras