Victoria County Sheriff's Office Body Worn Camera Policy Development and Implementation Project

The Victoria County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) lacks a Body Worn Camera Program resulting in limited resources to improve the delivery of law enforcement services, officer safety, public safety and evidence for adjudication of cases within Victoria County, an 882 square mile area in South Texas with 92,084 residents and including seven (7) federally designated Qualified Opportunity Zone census tracts.

Victoria County requests Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation for the Support of Law Enforcement Agencies (BWPIP-LEA) assistance to implement a new Body Worn Camera (BWC) Program.  Project budget requests include BWCPIP-LEA funding in the amount of $70,522.50 (50% of total project cost) and commits to the required 1:1 local match in the amount of $70,522.50 (50% of total project cost) for a total project cost of $141,045.00.  Funding will be utilized to achieve the project goal from BWC Policy development to implementation, resulting in the most effective delivery of VCSO law enforcement, officer safety, public safety and adjudication of cases for the benefit of 92,084 Victoria County, Texas residents.

The proposed VCSO BWC Program includes the purchase of 55 body worn cameras (for use by 28 Patrolmen; 2 Warrants Deputies; 6 Interdiction Deputies; 12 School Resource Officers; and 7 for Reserve Deputies/backup/department staff growth opportunities).  The program request budget also includes information technology supplies/equipment necessary for successful operation of the VCSO proposed BWC Program, detailed in the Budget Narrative.

The goal of the proposed VCSO project is to purchase BWC’s for VCSO Law Enforcement Officers and to ensure they are deployed as a part of a comprehensive body worn camera program that embodies evidence-based and problem-solving approaches.  The goal of the project will be achieved through broad stakeholder input into program development, development of plans to integrate BWC technology within the agency’s operational framework, enhancing mutual trust between officers and the community and promoting organizational efficiency.

The project goal will be accomplished through activities including but not limited to: Comprehensive BWC Policy development and implementation in collaboration with TTA provider; BWC community education and engagement; Procurement of BWC cameras and information technology to support BWC use and data storage/retention; Development and implementation of BWC use training for officers; and Implementation of BWC use by trained officers.  Deliverables will include documentation of all program activity completion, as well as outcomes for programmatic measures provided through accurate and consistent program reporting data.