Meetings set on Dane County Sheriff body camera project

As the Dane County Sheriff’s Office plans to participate in a body-worn camera project, a public meeting has been set to provide information about the tool.

The body-worn cameras will record deputy interactions with community members, providing an additional tool for documenting calls for service and evidence during investigations, the sheriff office has announced.

Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office West Precinct will pilot the body-worn cameras for one year. The West Precinct serves the townships of Berry, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Cross Plains, Dane, Mazomanie, Middleton, Montrose, Oregon, Perry, Primrose, Roxbury, Springdale, Springfield, Vermont, Verona, Vienna, and Westport.

Residents of those communities are invited to attend a public meeting to share information concerning the pilot project, including details about the technology and the agency’s draft policy for body-worn camera use. Public information meetings will occur on Feb. 15 and Feb. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Town of Middleton town hall at 7555 Old Sauk Rd.

The purpose of the pilot project is to test the product and take the time to develop the best policies and guidelines related to their use that are consistent with the industry’s best standards and the values of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“We believe body-worn cameras will help increase transparency between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities we serve, as we strive to provide the best possible service to the citizens of Dane County,” said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett.