Local News

Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Body Worn Cameras

Tony Hawley, Okanogan County Sheriff

May 06, 2021

If you have interaction with the patrol or corrections deputies of the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office you may notice they are equipped with a new piece of technology, Body Worn Cameras (BWC).

The use of BWC technology will be a valuable tool in accurately documenting events, actions, conditions, and statements, made during investigations, interviews, arrests and critical incidents. While they will not capture all that a deputy may notice, this will enhance their ability to document investigations, incidents and interactions with both video and audio recordings. Additionally, the Office will be able to review the video footage to debrief critical incidents and use the camera footage as a training tool to keep deputies well trained and prepared.

We are very proud of the service and professionalism provided by OCSO deputies across Okanogan County. Having their interactions recorded will allow for absolute transparency during their daily interactions with the public. The BWC will also augment and support their investigative skills.

The last week of April 2021, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office patrol and corrections deputies received training on the use of body worn cameras. Our deputies have all been equipped with the small, lightweight, rugged cameras and have been utilizing them since they were issued during the training sessions.

The Sheriff’s Office began working on the BWC purchase and deployment in December 2020. The process involved discussions with several vendors on their products and software for managing the recordings.