The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has outfitted Adelanto deputies with new high-tech body cameras, stepping up the push for transparency in law enforcement. Announced Wednesday, officers from the Victor Valley Station now sport the cutting-edge Axon Body 3 cameras, which promise to capture their every move—and word—while on the beat.
The new devices—a tool aimed at appeasing public outcry by offering real-time footage of police-public interactions, are expected to play a critical role in investigations. "Our staff at the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station work hard to serve our communities in a professional and courteous manner," said Captain Ken Lutz at the City of Adelanto Council Meeting where the announcement was made.
San Bernardino County's latest gear-up illustrates a wider trend seeking to reconstruct the tarnished links between the shield and those they swear to protect. The deputies operating in the High Desert now join a lengthening list of officers strapped with digital watchdogs, a nod to the push for increased scrutiny in a post-smartphone world.
