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BCSO moves closer to new body cameras

Bexar County Commissioners approved the selection of a vendor for new Bexar County Sheriff's Office body cameras.

SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Sheriff's Office is one step closer toward purchasing new body cameras, prioritizing features aimed at promoting transparency.

The Sheriff's Office says it recently completed a pilot program testing out two brands of cameras and decided that the Axon was the best model for them based on the features it provided, including longer battery life, a platform for citizens to submit related video, and design. 

"In a critical incident, for example, seconds count, every moment counts, and so these cameras are very user-friendly for just that purpose," Sheriff Javier Salazar said. "There's a reason you want to have big buttons. Under a stress situation, one of the first things that goes is fine motor skills, so you don't want to be fumbling around with a little button on a camera, you want a big button that will be user-friendly and accessible."

Commissioner Tommy Calvert abstained from the vote, noting that while he supported a camera program, he took issue with the vendor selection process. He also noted the importance of having policies in place if a video is deleted. The sheriff said that could be considered tampering with evidence.

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