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Cumberland County approves application for state grant to buy body-worn cameras for sheriff and jail
Summary
County commissioners voted to authorize applying for a DCED Local Share Account Category 4 grant to cover the equipment portion of a $310,000 body-worn camera project for the sheriff’s office and county prison.
Cumberland County commissioners voted to authorize staff to apply for a Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Local Share Account (LSA) Category 4 grant to buy body‑worn cameras for the sheriff’s office and county prison.
The application seeks just over $132,000 to cover the equipment portion of a $310,000 project; the remainder of the project cost (software and video storage) is not eligible under the grant rules and is expected to be covered from other sources, including the county canteen fund. Commissioners moved and seconded the resolution to submit the eGrants application and to accept the award if offered; the motion passed with all in favor.
County grants coordinator Katie Zimmerman told the board that the grant request is limited to the allowable equipment costs, meaning cameras, chargers and related hardware. She said staff from the sheriff’s office and the prison researched vendor options, deployment strategy, training and policy needs. Information technology staff (IMTO) reviewed compatibility and data‑storage issues, and the prison board provided input on operational fit.
Officials said the procurement includes a vendor commitment to upgrade cameras to the highest model at no additional charge after 2.5 years, and that the selected devices are compatible with the county’s new portable radio systems so cameras can activate in coordination with radio use. Zimmerman said other costs such as software and long‑term video storage are not covered by the LSA equipment portion and will be funded separately.
The commission did not provide a line‑by‑line vote sheet naming individual votes; the meeting record shows the motion was moved, seconded and approved unanimously. No implementation timeline or contract number was provided during the discussion.
The board’s authorization allows staff to complete the eGrants paperwork and to accept the grant if awarded. County staff said they will return to commissioners with additional details about procurement, deployment policy and training once the grant award and vendor contracts are finalized.
Notes: Total project cost cited by staff was $310,000; grant request was stated as "just over $132,000." The grant application covers equipment only; software and storage are not included in the DCED LSA equipment portion.
