Commissioners approve new equipment for Falls County Sheriff’s Office

Commissioners approved the purchase of three new body cameras and multiple sets of duty gear during the Jan. 13 meeting.

As it stands, Deputy Hill, who primarily serves civil process, is the only officer who lacks a body camera, but Sheriff Ricky Scaman is hoping to fill two vacant positions, one being courthouse security, by the end of the month. 

All three will need to have a body cam, according to Scaman. He explained that there is money in the budget for the equipment, but needed approval for exceeding $500. The total for all three cams came to $1,896.

Falls County Judge Jay Elliot was quick to agree with Scaman.

“For me, if anybody in the Sheriff’s Department deals with the public, they should have a body cam,” he told commissioners.

Elliot went on to explain that it protects the department from false accusations and false reports, especially in a digital age where the public can manipulate perspective after the fact.

For the rest of the story pick up the Jan. 15 edition of The Rosebud News or Read the E-Edition here.