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BLUE EARTH-- With the Faribault County Sheriff's Office preparing to implement the use of body warn cameras, the Faribault County Board of Commissioners held their first public hearing on the matter during their regular County Board meeting on Tuesday.
"The body worn cameras are for the patrol deputies, the court security officer, School Resource Officer (SRO), jail staff and deputies in investigations," chief deputy sheriff, Scott Adams, told the board. "The Sheriff's Office purchased Axon Body Cameras."
Adams went on to explain that the data recorded from these cameras is stored on evidence.com, which is provided by the vendor.
"The data is classified, audited, stored, and filed as evidence," Adams added. "Each recording is uploaded wirelessly and stored on a secure system which can be utilized by other agencies including law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office for prosecuting cases."
It was also noted that one requirement of body worn cameras is that agencies need to provide an opportunity for public comment, accepted by mail and email. The County Commissioners are also required to allow public comment at one of their regular meetings.
"The Faribault County Sheriff's Office wants support from the community and would like an opportunity to discuss any concerns the public may have," Adams stated. "The body worn cameras will benefit the department while performing law enforcement duties. The benefits as well as potential challenges that might arise need to be discussed, and input from the community is part of this process."
A copy of the Faribault County Sheriff's Office body worn camera policy is available on the Faribault County website at https://www.co.faribault.mn.us/sheriffs-office or by calling the Sheriff's Office at 507-526-5148, or by stopping by in person at 320 Dr. H. Russ Street, in Blue Earth.
The second reading of the policy will be on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at the next regular County Board meeting.
The board also:
-- Approved the hiring of Matthew Zbaracki as a full-time dispatch/jailer.
-- Passed a motion approving First Bank - Blue Earth, Wells Fargo, the Frost State Bank, the State Bank of Easton and Peoples State Bank of Wells as depositories of public funds for Faribault County for a period of one year.