CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Community members had a lot to say after a social media post from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced its deputies are now testing body-worn cameras in a pilot program.
The social media post shows multiple deputies and a device that could be used as a body-worn camera.
“I’m 100% for it,” Clay County resident Mary Palmer said.
Resident Julie Hellmuth agreed.
“It’s much better than not having them,” Hellmuth said.
People News4JAX spoke with in Clay County said the department testing them is a step in the right direction, especially Rufina Colon.
She said her son has had bad interactions with law enforcement before, and she believes a camera would’ve made a difference.
“Yes, body-worn cameras will help protect everybody, will help even protect the same police guys, and then will help protect the children of all colors. You know [make sure] there’s no racism involved in any kind of situation,” Colon said.
Retired JSO director and News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney helped JSO roll out body-worn cameras.
“It’s a pretty heavy lift when you go from nothing to something,” Hackney said.
Hackney said having cameras is a benefit, but they take time to get used to.
“When rolling out, there’s the adjustment phase of, I forgot to turn on the body-worn camera,” Hackney said.
Clay County is the last of the major sheriff’s offices in the area to test out body cameras.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Nassau County and St. Johns County deputies already use them.
According to the latest report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement released in 2022, there were 47 sheriff’s offices in the state that used them and 20 that didn’t.
According to a research paper by the University of Chicago and Council on Criminal Justice Task Gorce, which analyzed body-worn camera data, among police departments studied, complaints against police dropped by almost 17%.
And while everyone News4JAX spoke to thought the cameras were a good idea, some wish the department already had it.
“They can try their best to implement it as soon as possible,” Colon said.
News4JAX reached out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to speak with them about the body cameras, they said they just started testing them and will follow up with us next week.