Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Launches Body Camera Test Program

Press release from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office:

September 2, 2021

SNOHOMISH CONTY, Wash., September 2, 2021 – Today, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office announced the start of a test program to outfit selected Sheriff’s Office deputies with body worn cameras. Body worn cameras are used to improve transparency and accountability for both law enforcement and the community at large.

“I am a strong supporter and advocate for body worn cameras for our deputies,” said Sheriff Adam Fortney. “Body cams will provide additional transparency, help build community trust, and will also provide an extra layer of protection for the men and women who are working patrol and serving our community each day. Our office has prioritized funding body cameras for every deputy sheriff as a top request in our 2022 budget package and we hope to have them for all of our deputies next year.”

“Body cameras are good for our law enforcement officers and good for our community,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “While not always perfect records of often chaotic events, cameras provide more objective documentation of encounters between law enforcement officers and members of the public. As we have seen nationwide, body worn camera footage is essential for transparency and accountability. We know law enforcement cannot succeed at keeping the peace if our community doesn’t have faith in their actions. Cameras will help build and maintain trust, ensuring there are recordings when encounters are disputed. This is an important step to better serving everyone in our community.”

This press release was produced by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. The views expressed here are the author’s own.