Police body cameras are gaining support in Berkeley County

04.17.15

 

In the wake of the national attention the Walter Scott shooting has brought to Charleston, body cameras continue to be a hot topic in the media. Now that the Berkeley County Sheriff’s race is underway, the debate is in the forefront more than ever.

The Republican primary for Berkeley County Sheriff will draw voters on Tuesday. There are currently 14 candidates running. This election will prove to draw a lot of media attention on its own, considering former Sheriff, Wayne DeWitt, has been indicted on charges related to his drunk driving arrest in December.

According to Live 5 News, many Sheriff candidates say “they support requiring on-duty Deputies to wear body cameras. Some of the candidates say the county also needs to be mindful of the costs of cameras, which range from 100 to 500 dollars.”

While many see the need for these cameras, candidates also want to make sure upcoming legislation making its way through Washington will protect both deputies, and the people they serve.

According to Live 5 News, candidate Omar Brown says “When you go to a rape scene, you want to protect that victim…If you go to a child molestation scene, you want to protect that child…and that victim.”

Questions have also arisen over the cost of taping and storing footage of entire shifts. However, due to the high profile shootings of late, it seems likely that there will be a lot of support for the cameras.

Berkeley County will breath a big sigh of relief once a new Sheriff is elected. Live 5 News states, “If a Republican candidate doesn’t get more than 50 percent of the vote a runoff will be held on May 5. The winner will face Democratic candidate Anthony Smalls and write-in candidate Derrick Burbage in the general election in June.”