Mazo, Black Earth townships to see deputies with body cams

Dane County Deputies in the West Precinct will soon start wearing body cameras for a pilot one-year program. Residents in the townships of Mazomanie and Black Earth are among those who will be served by deputies wearing cameras. Body-worn cameras will record deputy interactions with community members, providing an additional tool for documenting calls for service and evidence during investigations. The West Precinct also serves the townships of Berry, Blue Mounds, Cross Plains, Dane, Middleton, Montrose, Oregon, Perry, Primrose, Roxbury, Springdale, Springfield, Vermont, Verona, Vienna, and Westport.   Residents of those communities are invited to attend a public meeting to share information concerning the pilot project, including details about the technology and the agency’s draft policy for body-worn camera use. Public information meetings will occur on February 15th and February 29th at 6:00 p.m. at the Town of Middleton town hall at 7555 Old Sauk Rd.  The purpose of the pilot project is to test the product and take the time to develop the best policies and guidelines related to their use that are consistent with the industry’s best standards and the values of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office. “We believe body-worn cameras will help increase transparency between the Sheriff’s Office and the communities we serve, as we strive to provide the best possible service to the citizens of Dane County,” said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett.