Deadwood Police Officers to Buy, Begin Using Body Cameras

DEADWOOD, S.D. (AP) — The police chief in Deadwood says equipping his officers with body cameras makes sense legally and can help protect them from liability.

Police Chief Kelly Fuller tells the Black Hills Pioneer that his staff will buy and begin using cameras in the next few months.

Fuller says the department has been researching the body cameras over the last few months to determine their feasibility in assisting local law enforcement.

The department is using funding from the Equitable Drug Sharing Award to pay about $21,000 for the body camera system, which includes 16 cameras.

The body cameras will be issued to all full-time officers and ordinance officers.