SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office will soon roll out some new tech to help deputies on patrol and keep the public safe.
All patrol vehicles with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office will now have dash cams with license plate readers.
The price tag for the cameras and installation comes to about $833,000 according to SCSO.
Sumter County Sheriff Patrick Breeden said this not only creates more transparency but helps deputies patrol more effectively.
Deputy Tyler Forehlich said he was excited when he heard dash cams were coming to the department.
“I see everyone else with dashcams, and I think it’s a great role to helping fight crime,” Froehlich said.
Froehlich said being equipped with a dash cam will help him with a number of situations he might encounter when he’s on patrol and said dash cams will help with combating crime.
“Traffic stops is a major one,” Froehlich said. “Any time you stop a car, certain things get thrown out of a car, people can get out of cars, it’s also to keep our back, too. If something were to happen to one of us, we’re able to view it. These body cams only show what I’m seeing in front of me. This gives you a broader view of what’s going on.”
The dash cams not only show what’s happening outside the car, but inside too with an additional camera pointing to the backseat.
“With the camera up here, it’s a wide-view so you’re able to see anybody that’s trying to dig in a pocket, stuffing things in the seats, it’s a straight-on view which is awesome,” Froehlich said.
Breeden said the dash cams are also equipped with license plate readers. Before, not every patrol car had an LPR.
“We had them on specialty units such as DUI, street crimes and some of our patrol cars, but now every vehicle is going to be equipped with it,” Froehlich said.
Breedan said transparency was a big driver for the addition of dash cams in patrol cars.
“When everybody’s out there, we’re doing our job, it’s going to be right there on camera for the public to see,” Breeden said. “We don’t hide anything.”
Breeden said he also wants to make sure his deputies have the best technology to be able to do their jobs.
“I want to do everything I can to protect my deputy sheriffs that are out there working the street, and I also want to protect every citizen I can,” Breeden said. “So this does both. It’s a twofold. It’s a win-win.”
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office anticipates all patrol car dash cams will be installed and online in about a month.