Sheriff's office seeks federal allocation to replace body cameras, tasers and fleet cameras; board authorizes grant application

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on April 1 authorized the sheriff's office to pursue a federal allocation request intended to help replace its body‑worn cameras, tasers and fleet cameras.

Jeff Price, the sheriff's business manager, told the board that the office is at the end of life for its current systems and sought congressional directed spending routed through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Sheriff Thad Rupert said the county submitted the application on a short timeline and apologized for the retroactive notice.

The sheriff estimated the total replacement project could approach the multimillion‑dollar range. "This body worn camera system is approaching $2,400,000," Sheriff Thad Rupert said, and staff later described an initial vendor quote as high as roughly $2.3–2.9 million. The sheriff's office said it negotiated down to a hardware ask of about $1.7 million to cover cameras, tasers and fleet hardware; ongoing costs such as storage and maintenance would be county responsibilities.

Jeff Price said the department coordinated with the congressional offices of both U.S. senators and the local representative and submitted letters of support from the county as part of the application. Commissioners discussed the grant review timeline and compliance considerations for grant reporting.

The board voted to authorize the application and approve providing support letters and other materials. Commissioners present recorded unanimous support for the motion.

What happens next: County staff said they expect the congressional subcommittee or review to meet in June or July and that if some funding is awarded it would cover hardware; the county would still carry recurring data‑storage and software costs. County leaders also discussed exploring COPS or other grant programs for recurring administrative needs.