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More Louisiana Parish Deputies to Get Body Cameras

The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office will equip its deputies with body cameras, a move the sheriff says is designed to increase transparency, joining a growing number of agencies nationwide that are doing the same.

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(TNS) — The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office will equip its deputies with body cameras, a move the sheriff says is designed to increase transparency.

A growing number of law enforcement agencies across the country have outfitted their officers with the cameras in recent years after several high-profile examples of police brutality stirred major protests.

In Louisiana, body camera footage has played a central role in the controvery over the death of Ronald Greene in State Police custody. Troopers had originally said Greene had died in a crash, but leaked body camera videos showed troopers beating him after the crash.

Some larger departments, like the Baton Rouge police, have had cameras for a while. But the technology has been slower to reach rural parishes like Washington.

Sheriff Randy "Country" Seal said residents will begin to see the cameras in use as early as this week.

Seal signed a contract with Axon Enterprise — formerly known as TASER International — for the body cameras. They will be issued to criminal patrol enforcement deputies first, though there are plans to expand to narcotics, civil and investigations as budgeting permits, he said.

The five-year, $186,000 contract includes the cameras, training, as well as the storage and records management for the cameras and footage.

Seal said in a statement that purchasing the body cameras has been "one of his top priorities" as the administration sought to find money in the agency's general fund for the technology.

"We are excited to equip our deputies with this essential tool," Seal said. "This tool will help increase and promote transparency and accountability within the ranks and within the community we serve. Body cameras put everyone, deputies and citizens alike, on their best behavior."

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is currently in the process of equipping deputies with body cameras, spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said.

© 2022 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.