WAUKESHA CO. — The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office is working on implementing a body-worn camera program for the Sheriff's Office Patrol Division, the Sheriff's Office announced in a statement on Friday morning.
Captain Nicholas Ollinger will be working closely with the County Executive's Office, at the direction of Sheriff Eric Severson, to assist in the development and implementation of the program.
Watch: Waukesha County Sheriff's Office pushes for body camera program:
"This initiative reflects the agency's continued commitment to enhancing transparency, strengthening accountability, and building public trust," Ollinger said. "Body-worn camera technology will also serve as a valuable tool for documenting law enforcement interactions and providing critical evidence during investigations and court proceedings."
According to the statement, body-worn camera implementation presented financial challenges when Severson took office in 2015.
"Funding our County's justice and public safety needs is my number one priority," County Executive Paul Farrow said in the statement. "I'm encouraged by the positive conversations surrounding Waukesha County's decision to equip our deputies with body-worn cameras. This is an important step for the County, and we are committed to implementing this technology in a way that supports transparency, accountability, and public trust."
The move also follows recent comments from Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, who revealed on a county government podcast in late March that the sheriff had never requested funding for the cameras.
Waukesha County Spokesperson Hillary Mintz asked Farrow if the sheriff had ever asked the county to fund body-worn or dash cameras.
"No. Since I've been in this position for over a decade now, I've run 11 budgets, and the sheriff has never come forward with body cams as a priority," Farrow said.
Sheriff Eric Severson is not running for re-election, and his time in office ends in eight months.
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