MADISON, Wis. — Body-worn cameras are coming to the Dane County Sheriff’s Office as part of a pilot program, officials announced Friday.
The pilot program will run for one year, with deputies from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office’s west precinct wearing the cameras to record interactions with community members.
Officials with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office say the pilot program will help the department test the product while also developing future policies and guidelines for their use.
“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,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement announcing the program.
The sheriff’s office’s west precinct covers Berry, Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Cross Plains, Dane, Mazomanie, Middleton, Montrose, Oregon, Perry, Primrose, Roxbury, Springdale, Springfield, Vermont, Verona, Vienna and Westport.
People in those communities who have questions or concerns about the pilot program are encouraged to attend one of a pair of public information meetings being held later in February at the Town of Middleton town hall.