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Warren County sheriff highlights new hires, seeks financing to cover balance on $162,000 body‑camera grant
Summary
Sheriff Klein introduced new deputies and community‑policing staff and described a DOJ small‑rural body‑worn camera grant for $162,000. Motorola quoted the full project at $299,000; the county faces a $137,000 balance that staff say could be financed over two years.
Sheriff Klein presented newly hired and promoted staff from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and requested the board’s consideration of a Department of Justice SRT body‑worn camera grant awarded to the county.
Klein introduced personnel by name and role, including Sergeant Eric Perez, who she said was promoted August 25, 2020, and leaders of a new community‑policing unit and a grant‑funded youth engagement coordinator, Krista Beam. She told the board the sheriff’s office has 66 sworn deputies (59 full‑time, seven part‑time), currently 56 body‑worn cameras in inventory and 13 vacancies that will affect equipment needs as new hires arrive.
On the camera grant, Klein said Warren County applied in February 2024 and was awarded $162,000 from a Department of Justice program for small and rural agencies. She told the board Motorola has quoted a total project cost of about $299,000 for 81 body‑worn cameras plus five years of maintenance and cloud storage; Motorola offered a $65,725 discount. "We have to sign the grant and sign the Motorola contract by the 27 this month, or we'll lose the grant and probably this contract price too," she said.
Klein set out two options for covering the roughly $137,000 balance: pay cash from county budgets or use Motorola financing, which staff said would require full repayment within two years (staff estimated financing just over 5 percent). Klein described a payment profile that would raise annual maintenance/finance costs in the first two years but reduce outlays in years three through five, because the loan would be paid off while maintenance and storage continue.
Board members questioned where financing would come from this fiscal year and whether the county had already paid the current annual maintenance contract. Staff said the current $40,000 annual maintenance item is budgeted but not yet invoiced; they are investigating if the maintenance payment could be avoided if the new system is procured quickly. A technology staffer said the new cameras have a projected five‑to‑seven‑year lifespan and Motorola had not announced an imminent end‑of‑life for the V300/V700 models.
Klein framed the grant as a long‑term savings and a transparency measure: "The only reason there is a savings is because of this grant — $162,000 is huge when it comes to this," she said, and added that body‑worn cameras have helped the agency avoid disputed complaints. No formal board vote on acceptance of the grant or a financing agreement was recorded during the session.
Next steps: staff said they would double‑check payment timing with finance, confirm financing terms and, if the board desires, prepare any required transfers or contract documents for board action.
