Letter to Beaufort County Citizens from Sheriff P. J.

Tanner Addresses Usage of Body Worn

Cameras for Law Enforcement
December 16, 2014

Dear Beaufort County Citizens and Guests:

Recently, the local and national media have published several articles
about body worn cameras for law enforcement.
For the past 16 years, this Office has and will continue to look at
appropriate technology for use by our deputy sheriffs to better serve the
citizens of our county.
Currently, all of our patrol duty vehicles have in-car video cameras, to
include voice transmitters worn on patrol deputies duty belts. Our interview
rooms are equipped with audio/video cameras, and our investigators use
audio/video equipment during the course of criminal investigations. All
obtained at great expense and with intended results of 100 to 200 videos
created daily.
If other options are not used or available for the officer, body-worn cameras
are a great source of technology; however, the downside would include the
following unavoidable results:
1) Good people on their worst days.
Deputies would capture video of complainants, victims, witnesses and family members during times of conflict or
devastation, which would be considered an invasion of personal privacy by some.
2) Video would expose floor plans of homes, banks, businesses and other structures, to include personal property,
and so doing might assist with illegal ventures.
3) Video would unnecessarily expose investigative crime scene techniques and tactics not otherwise know to
criminals.
4) Citizens would be reluctant to speak with deputies in detail about problem issues in their communities.
5) The storage of the thousands of hours of video is cost prohibitive and would be an unnecessary expenditure of
tax dollars.
6) In compliance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, the possibility of these videos being posted
on Social Media, YouTube, etc., could impact expectations of personal privacy by those individuals recorded,
which could be you.
In conclusion, we at Beaufort County Sheriffs Office are well equipped with audio/video equipment. If one of our
citizens or guests were to have a complaint for any reason about one of our deputies, our Office of Professional
Responsibility would investigate.
Sincerely,
P. J. Tanner
Sheriff