As of now, 50 deputies have attached the long-awaited addition to their uniforms.

“They’re sitting on the front of the deputy's vest, so the citizens will be able to see them pretty distinctly,” she said.

In an initiative Cook said is soon to bring positive changes to the agency, the cameras were an approximately $1.4 million yearly investment throughout a 10-year contract.

Cook said that the cost includes the camera, storage and necessary redaction software. 

Although putting a camera on a deputy sounds easy, she said the hard part comes with the footage.

“If somebody requests footage, it has to be viewed, it has to be redacted,” she said. “We have to have a way to send it over to the state attorney's office if it's a part of the evidence.” 

Not all deputies currently have the camera; however, Cook said the agency is working toward rolling out the rest within the next couple of years, as they become more comfortable.

“We’re setting up a body-worn camera unit, because when camera footage comes in, it now becomes evidence, it now becomes subject to public records,” she said. “So, we’re making sure that our infrastructure, which is set up, can support the cameras that we have deployed.”

Overall, Cook said so far, the launch has been successful, and she’s looking forward to the future. 

“I am confident that the vast majority of our deputies are doing the right thing,” she said. “But I'm also confident that adding the body-worn cameras will add a level of transparency that I think is commonplace. Our deputies wanted this as much as the community did. So, this is a good thing for us and the community.”