Body cameras for Lexington County deputies on hold

A plan to start making body cameras standard equipment for most Lexington County deputies is in limbo after some County Council members expressed concern Tuesday that the step will be costly.

Sheriff Jay Koon is seeking approval for 60 cameras as a start on putting cameras on 225 deputies over five years.

Some council members said it’s unclear if record-keeping will require extra staff and equipment. “There are more unknowns than knowns,” Council chairman Todd Cullum of Cayce said.

Koon predicted no additions are likely unless requests for videos mushroom. “There’s a lot of stuff we’ve got to put our arms around,” he said. “But we’ve done our research.”

Some council members favor testing the plan. “Let’s see how it goes,” Councilman Scott Whetstone of Swansea said.

Cameras will be employed mainly for use of weapons, traffic stops, most arrests and “adversarial” incidents, Koon’s plan says.

But “officer safety will take precedence over the recording of events,” it says.

County deputies are the last major law enforcement agency in the Columbia area without cameras.

This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Body cameras for Lexington County deputies on hold."