Nassau County Sheriff’s Office rolls out new body cameras this month

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — Deputy Christopher Walton has been with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office for eight years.

“It was something I was always interested in being in. I got into it in my late 20s. I enjoyed it ever since,” Deputy Walton said.

On Thursday Deputy Walton took Action News Jax out on a ride-along to show us how the agency’s new body cameras work.

Walton said they’re easy to use.

Every time a deputy gets a call, he or she can press a button and everything gets recorded.

Sheriff Bill Leeper said having his officers outfitted with body cameras will lead to better accountability.

“Transparency with our citizens. It also shows really the good things that deputies do every day that are never captured. It also shows criminal activity that deputy can come in contact with which can help prosecution with the state attorney’s office,” Sheriff Leeper said.

The sheriff says the body cameras were a long time coming, saying he began moving toward the technology two years ago.

“Of course, it’s a long process. It’s not something that can be done overnight. First, you have to kind of test of equipment that’s out there. See which one best fits your agency. We wanted to have one that kind of syncs with our in-car camera,” Sheriff Leeper said.

They cost just under $450,000 and were paid for using assets seized during a financial crime case in 2013.

Deputy Walton said the new equipment won’t change the way he does his job, but it will give his community a clearer picture of how calls are handled no matter how stressful or dangerous.

“It can provide another layer of protection and like I said give the general public a firsthand look,” Walton said.

©2022 Cox Media Group