Deputies in Frederick County, Maryland, will be wearing body cameras starting Tuesday as part of their duty uniform.
Deputies will be outfitted with Axon body cameras, and the rollout to 180 officers will be phased in over the next 60 days, said Frederick County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Balsley, in a Facebook post.
The goal is to have all officers wearing and using them by April 1.
The sheriff’s office said the rollout will get body cameras on the streets well ahead of a July 1, 2025 state deadline. Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said that, “deputies have been looking forward to the implementation of the body cameras.”
“We have done our due diligence through the year-long pilot program to make sure we made the right decision in the selection of a reliable product vendor in Axon, which has allowed us to put together a very solid policy regarding the use of the body cameras,” Jenkins said.
Maryland lawmakers passed legislation in 2021, requiring police departments in the state to equip its officers with body cameras.
Under the law, police departments are required to develop policies for body-worn cameras, which must have the technological capability to automatically record and save at least 60 seconds of video footage immediately prior to an officer activating the record button.