Laurens County Invests in Tasers with Cameras
There’s no better evidence than when something is caught on camera. And that’s the logic behind new technology at the Laurens County Sheriff’s office.
For the past few years Laurens County has slowly been integrating these new Tasers into their system.
The Taser is equipped with a small camera, that even has night vision. It starts recording when the Taser gun is turned on.
To add the camera it cost about $500 dollars more than the traditional Taser. The Tasers were paid for partly by federal grants. but Sheriff Ricky Chastain says any money that came from the office budget was money well spent.
“If it was $500, it would pay for itself with one lawsuit that could come out of a Taser incident,” Chastain said.
Over the years, Chastain says he’s seen departments across the country dealing with claims against law enforcement officers accused of abusing stun guns. but without the camera, he says it was just the suspect’s word against that of an officer, something that concerned Sheriff Chastain.
But now there is little arguing when it’s captured on camera, with both audio and video.
“You have a video that will clearly state what the officer did and how he did it and if he acted appropriately or not,” Chastain said.
Chastain says having that proof saves his office hours of investigating and interviewing those involved because the proof is right there.
Sheriff Chastain says there have been several incidents within his own office which this small camera potentially has saved a deputy’s career.
“There have been a couple of issues that I know of where a Taser was used and someone has complained or said an officer was acting inappropriately,” Chastain said.
And Chastain says it’s the video recorded from the device that put those accusations to rest.
