The pittsylvania county sheriff's office is seeking grant funding to upgrade the current BWC system

The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office received a $148,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program (CFDA 16.835). The grant funding will be used to upgrade the county's existing body-worn camera (BWC) system, which has become outdated and prone to equipment failures that have resulted in the loss of crucial evidence. The new BWCs will improve the equitable prosecution of crimes by providing enhanced video footage for use in the courts. The award has a period of performance from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2026, and will enable the sheriff's office to acquire updated BWC hardware and associated data storage solutions, as well as develop comprehensive policies and training programs for the effective utilization of the new technology.

The utilization of the bwcs video footage in the courts has aided in the equitable prosecution of crimes. Since the original purchase in 2015, watchguard has continued to improve its bwcs, thus rendering our existing model obsolete. Due to the age and current condition of our bwcs, crucial evidence retained on our bwcs has been lost in innumerable instances because the cameras failed. This leaves our office in a risk management and lawsuit situation with potential policy violations because of breakdowns.