Federal Funding to Pay for Body Cameras for Lake County Sheriff's Office

Submission by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has received $73,000 in federal funding through the Body Worn-Camera Pilot Implementation Program to purchase body-worn cameras for deputies.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was one of only three Illinois law enforcement agencies to be awarded this funding. Chicago Police Department and Elgin Police Department are the other two agencies which were awarded the funding.

“The Body Cameras will give the Sheriff’s Office the ability to stay at the front of cutting edge technologies. Both the public and the Sheriff’s Deputy will benefit from this grant,” said Raymond Rose, Lake County Undersheriff. “Law enforcement is under tremendous scrutiny in an age where every action taken can be dissected in an instant; this now gives us the ability to both teach and learn while at the same time enhance mutual trust which is necessary for us to be successful in our mission.”

The Department of Justice announced $20 million for a new Body Worn-Camera Pilot Implementation Program in May 2015 as part of a broader effort to expand funding and training to law enforcement agencies through community policing initiatives.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was one of 258 applicants requesting funding and one of 73 to be awarded the funding. Sheriff Mark Curran stated, “We are grateful to Senator Dick Durbin for his assistance in securing the grant.”

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is committed to a high level of police service, public transparency, and will be placing an order in the future for 292 body cameras.

The body cameras will be worn by sworn members of the Sheriff’s Office who interact with the public on a daily basis. This will include more than just first responders and comprises the following divisions: Corrections, Court Security, Criminal Investigations, Highway Patrol, Marine Unit, Warrants, and Sheriff’s Gang Task Force.

The Sheriff’s Office will be the largest Lake County law enforcement agency to deploy body cameras