Deputies in this Sacramento-area county will get body cameras for the first time

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office will get body cameras for its deputies after county lawmakers approved the purchase in its $681 million budget passed Monday.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved the body-worn camera program on May 11 and will spend $1.3 million to outfit the agency’s deputies with cameras for the first time.

According to budget documents, four employees will be added to support the program, including a sheriff’s sergeant, systems analyst and two technicians. Salaries and benefits for the new employees will be close to $600,000.

The county has discussed the possibility of adding body cameras for at least the last two years, said El Dorado County spokeswoman Carla Hass.

“Given the COVID pandemic, we weren’t sure where our budget would be,” Hass said.

The sheriff’s deputies did not have body cameras, but the agency did use mobile audio and video recording systems on its patrol vehicles. The agency had 154 sworn law enforcement employees in 2019, according to the California Department of Justice data.

Deputies in nearby Sacramento County began wearing body cameras in February.

This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 5:54 PM.