Monday was a typical day for Deputy Bart Castle. He, like his colleagues, now wears a body camera.
"Uses are really simple. Just turn it on, turn it off, and at times is activated by other parts of our gear that we carry," said Castle.
On January 1, the Ontario County Sheriff's Office launched their body worn camera program. In total, they received 90 cameras. The program will last for the next five years.
"Each deputy has one assigned to them, along with a supervisor, an administrator all the way up to myself. I wear a body camera as well," said Sheriff Kevin Henderson.
The goal is to be transparent with the community. When officers interact with the public, the camera will be on. This includes traffic stops, arrests, and even calls for complaints.
"There's a lot of questions on policies, procedures. What happened, what if, and why did it happen? I think having it on video now really exemplifies the focus at this office that I would like to do with my deputies," said Henderson.
Deputy Castle said he's been with the department for 15 years. He's hoping this tool can be just another way they let the community know they are being upfront and honest with them.
"If there are any issues that come up, we can go back and the sheriff can make it available to view in the future if need be. It's just trusting with us and the community, just letting them know that hey we're out here, we're upfront, we're being real just like they are," said Castle.
Although the body cameras are a part of a five-year program, Sheriff Henderson said his goal is to make them a permanent fixture at the Ontario County Sheriff's Office.