Wake county remains the most populated county in north carolina

The Wake County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) received a $307,485 project grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program (CFDA 16.835). The grant will fund the expansion of WCSO's body-worn camera (BWC) program to include detention officers in the county's two detention facilities. Key objectives include procuring and deploying 350 BWCs, enhancing training and policies for proper BWC use, and improving transparency through public education about the program. The grant aims to increase accountability, support evidence collection for court cases, and reduce complaints and liability related to detention officer-inmate interactions. Performance measures will track outcomes such as decreased use of force incidents and reduced time between court dates and case dispositions.

According to the U.S. Census bureau, wake county has an estimated population of 1,150,204. Wake county sheriffs office (wcso) plans to expand the existing BWC program to include detention officers in the detention division. The two wake county facilities for inmates are john h. Baker, JR. Public safety center (PSC) and wake county detention center (wcdc). Wcso is staffed with a total of 310 detention officers, 90 at PSC and 220 at wcdc. Expanding the BWC program will assist in documenting all detention officer-inmate and/or inmate-inmate encounters, therefore increasing the amount of evidence available for court processing and decreasing complaint investigations and agency liability. Goals of expanding the wcso BWC program are: (1) procure and deploy 350 bwcs, (2) increase accountability and transparency of wcso and inmates by educating detention officers and applicable personnel, (3) promote integrity and consistency by informing inmates and the public about BWC interactions between wcso and inmates, (4) train detention officers on how to properly use and maintain the bwcs and devices, and (5) demonstrate how the evidence collected is stored, reviewed, retained, and (under appropriate circumstances) redacted. The wcso BWC expansion program will assist detention officers to support goals for wcso to monitor the inmates safety while in the facilities. Program objectives include: (1) revising the current BWC policy and procedures; (2) training programs developed to support proper operations and maintenance of the devices being used by detention officers; (3) providing program information to inmates, citizens, and stakeholders to educate BWC policy and procedures for detention centers; (4) producing quarterly reviews and communication with key staff members, stakeholders, and community groups about the BWC goals; (5) decreasing the number of reports of injuries related to use of force against inmates and detention officers; and (6) reducing the average length of time (in days) from the initial court date to final case disposition for cases brought by the wcso to the wake county district court. Wcso anticipates the success of this program will continue to increase trust from the public, monitor inmate activity to decrease altercations, and provide transparency of incidents that may occur between inmates and detention officers. The program will provide better support of evidence being used in trials and litigations. Program performance measures will also be collected for grant reporting and program evaluation.