Streamlining Uniforms

Commissioners approved the purchase of three new body cameras and multiple sets of duty gear during the Jan. 13 meeting.

As it stands, Deputy Hill, who primarily serves civil process, is the only officer who lacks a body camera, but Sheriff Ricky Scaman is hoping to fill two vacant positions, one being courthouse security, by the end of the month. All three will need to have a body cam, according to Scaman. He explained that there is money in the budget for the equipment, but needed approval for exceeding $500. The total for all three cams came to $1,896. Falls County Judge Jay Elliot was quick to agree with Scaman.

“For me, if anybody in the Sheriff’s Department deals with the public, they should have a body cam,” he told commissioners.

Elliot went on to explain that it protects the department from false accusations and false reports, especially in a digital age where the public can manipulate perspective after the fact. The body cameras were approved unanimously.

Scaman also brought before the council a proposal to buy three new sets of duty gear from GT Distributors. One set is for a recently appointed Deputy Banks, who is currently attending the Academy. The gear allocated to her totaled $2,200. The other two sets, at about $2,000 each, would be for the people who will filling the above mentioned open positions.

Each set includes the purchase of a gun, which took Commissioner Nita Wubker by surprise.

“If they leave the department, the gun stays?” she asked Scaman.

For the rest of the story pick up the Jan. 15 edition of The Marlin Democrat or Read the E-Edition here to check out the archives.