August 17, 2022 – Beginning this week, residents of Macon County will start seeing deputies assigned to the patrol division wearing body-worn cameras (BWCs).
The Macon County Sheriff’s Office will start their initial implementation of the cameras in order to comply with a directive enacted in the Illinois General Assembly through HB 3653 (SAFE-T Act). As directed in HB 3653, police agencies are required to implement camera policies before January 1, 2023.
Sheriff Jim Root said that body-worn cameras are beneficial to both law enforcement and the general public. Used in capturing interactions from the perspective of the officer, BWCs have been used in criminal courts to show a judge or jury how an interaction developed and allow an officer to confirm statements or actions made by victims or suspects.
The Sheriff’s Office has been testing various cameras to determine feasibility, durability, and the ability to store the amount of data a body-worn camera generates. Deputies will begin wearing the cameras while on patrol this week prior to final distribution to all patrol deputies.
