KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) announced Wednesday that it will deploy 60 new body cameras and taser devices on its road patrol officers.
According to a press release, the new equipment is part of a five-year Officer Safety Plan 7+ (OSP 7+) contract that KCSO has entered with Axon. The new cameras will be worn "as soon as possible."
"The cameras will allow for protection of the deputies and the citizens we serve, which will enhance our ability to capture events for transparency to the community," the sheriff's office said in the press release.
The body cameras are the Axon Body 3. They are LTE-enabled and outfitted with "real-time situational awareness technology," the sheriff's office said. The cameras will have live streaming functionality that will allow authorized personnel to view events as they happen.
"The TASER 7 is Axon’s most effective less-lethal device to date and was built to equip officers with the power to de-escalate dangerous situations," the sheriff's office said in the release.
The sheriff's office said the contract with Axon also provides officers with VR training that will educate them on how to de-escalate situations involving people suffering from mental health issues, crises or psychotic episodes.
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