The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office secured a $430,000 grant in October 2022, which will be used to obtain and introduce body worn cameras into the field.

The plan is to purchase a total of 215 Axon Body 3 cameras, a cost totaling approximately $3 million. This includes the hardware, software, licensing, storage, maintenance, training and field deployment.

Some trial equipment arrived in mid-December and our Training Unit is now testing the cameras’ capabilities and working to develop a policy for them. The cameras generate high definition video, clear audio and can transcribe conversations during the upload process. We continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to gain their perspective and understanding on their devices and capabilities to aid us in crafting the most efficient body worn camera program.

Cameras are expected to be deployed in mid to late 2023, however, not all deputies will receive a camera to start. We will first assign them to specific deputies who have public interaction on a regular basis, then slowly phase them in to other specialty units within our department.

Moving forward, the goal is to acquire more cameras, which will be assigned to most people employed within our agency. This may include detective units, the jail and courts.