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Pine County board approves renewal of squad and body camera contract after multi-year use
Summary
The Pine County Board voted to renew the county’s squad and body camera services contract after a multi-year deployment. Sheriff Jeff Nelson and staff described automated features, storage and warranty arrangements; the renewal passed on a roll-call vote with one commissioner opposed.
The Pine County Board of Commissioners voted to renew the county’s squad and body camera contract for the Sheriff’s Office, approving the multi-year renewal after a presentation from Sheriff Jeff Nelson and budget details from County Auditor-Treasurer Kelly Schroeder.
Sheriff Jeff Nelson told the board the county first selected the current system after a 2019 RFP and fully implemented it in 2020. He described automated features intended to reduce reliance on manual activation — “the holster every time a deputy draws his gun it triggers the camera so they don't have to manually turn it on” — and said automatic upload and metadata tracking have improved evidence handling and accountability.
The sheriff said the cameras were decisive in at least one early, high-profile officer-involved shooting, and that having recorded evidence sped case resolution: “I truly believe that first incident we had within within that first month, paid for the system, through what litigation costs would have would have been,” he said.
Kelly Schroeder, the county’s auditor-treasurer, told the board the county front-loaded payments in the initial contract period and has paid roughly $409,000 to date (including additions for jail cameras). She provided year-by-year figures, saying the county paid $242,000 at contract start and paid $38,006.97 in 2024. Board members and staff discussed the renewal cost profile; one commissioner referred to roughly $90,000 per year as the ongoing expense, and the sheriff said the proposed new contract would total about $450,000.
Board members asked about data retention and operational control. Nelson said retention varies by record type — “depends on the data. Anywhere from 90 days minimum to lifetime” — and that the vendor’s cloud-based service and metadata logging mean the county does not pay separate storage tiers. He also confirmed deputies can manually control cameras through a wearable controller, but that the system’s automatic triggers reduce the likelihood recordings are missed.
Commissioners discussed alternatives and the procurement history. The sheriff and other staff said the county reviewed multiple vendors before selecting the current company in 2019; alternatives mentioned in discussion included Axon and WatchGuard, both of which were described as larger vendors with different cost and service trade-offs. The sheriff cautioned that switching systems could require additional integration work with the county’s CAD and evidence systems.
The board approved the contract renewal on a roll-call vote: Commissioners Ludwig, Holland, Nelson and Chair Moore voted yes; Commissioner JJ Waldham voted no.
The contract renewal directs staff to finalize terms under the presented proposal and to proceed with equipment ordering and planned hardware refreshes described by the sheriff.
