Commissioners debate centralizing county camera footage under sheriff; transfer motion fails, work session planned

A motion to transfer Bourbon County’s camera and surveillance systems—along with the associated servers and footage—to the sheriff’s office failed for lack of a second at the commission meeting. Commissioners nonetheless agreed to schedule a work session to examine chain‑of‑custody, server location and access procedures for camera footage.

The proposal’s backers said consolidating footage under the sheriff’s department would secure evidence, centralize access and preserve chain‑of‑custody when footage may be needed for criminal investigations. Opponents and other commissioners asked for more information about costs, IT implications and legal procedures before making an operational transfer.

Public Works and sheriff’s representatives described how footage is currently recorded and stored. One county staff participant explained the common practice in neighboring counties of housing surveillance servers in a secure jail or sheriff location so that evidence remains under a controlled chain of custody. Staff also said department heads can currently request footage; if criminal activity is suspected, the sheriff’s office would be called to proceed with a formal investigation.

Commissioners emphasized three priorities for any change: (1) ensure secure, tamper‑resistant storage for footage; (2) define who has viewing and editing rights; and (3) prepare an implementation plan that identifies costs and technical requirements. The board voted to convene a work session on June 23 to bring in IT staff, sheriff’s office advisors and department heads to evaluate feasibility and cost. No transfer of equipment or footage was made at the meeting.