Sheriff’s Department Receives Funds For Body Cameras

The Bucks County Sheriff’s Department and several other local police agencies have received federal dollars to fund body-worn cameras.

The $52,805 in federal funds for the body-worn cameras were granted to the Central Bucks Regional Police Department in Doylestown. The department will administer the funds to the sheriff’s office along with Chalfont, Plumstead, Buckingham, Warrington, Warminster, Lower Southampton and Northampton police.

The departments receiving body-worn cameras will be meeting regularly to put together a “plan of implementation, training procedures, and operational policy that is consistent with guidelines prior to the purchase of cameras,” a press release said.

“In addition to improving the high-quality public service expected of our officers, video footage will provide powerful demonstrative evidence for successful prosecution, officer training, reduction in citizen complaints, and prevent unfounded complaints,” Chief Bill Wiegman of the Lower Southampton Police Department said.

SEPTA police and Yardley police have used body cameras with great success.

“This pilot program has the potential of affecting a population of over 626,000 crossing all socioeconomic boundaries as well as age, race, and ethnicity,” Sheriff Edward “Duke” Donnelly said.

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler told LevittownNow.com last year.

The Bucks County Sheriff’s Department plans to have body-worn cameras in use by 2016.

Related: 

• Local Police Expected To Used Body Cameras