Grants to pay for Ohio police body cameras

Why it matters: Body cameras enforce officer transparency and assist with accurate investigations, but can be cost-prohibitive for smaller departments without funding help.

State of play: There has been a renewed push locally for body cameras after former Franklin County sheriff's deputy Jason Meade shot and killed Columbus resident Casey Goodson Jr. under disputed circumstances in late 2020.

• The county commissioners earmarked $2.5 million weeks after the shooting toward purchasing cameras for deputies, but they've yet to be installed 13 months later.
• An additional $232,000 in grant funding will help pay for video equipment expected to arrive in the next few months, sheriff's spokesperson Maureen Kocot tells Axios.

What they're saying: "We're getting close and we're very excited," Kocot says of the effort to supply the nearly 700 deputies with cameras.

• "No one wants body cameras more than Sheriff (Dallas) Baldwin."

Zoom in: Six other law enforcement agencies in Franklin County will receive a combined $322,000 toward launching body cameras.

• Like the sheriff's office, Hilliard was already planning to install body cameras for its 62 police officers.

• This grant will allow the city to recoup around one-third of its costs, police spokesperson Andrea Litchfield tells Axios.
• Obetz, Grove City, Upper Arlington, Whitehall and Blendon Twp. are also receiving grants, according to the governor's office.

The big picture: There is no law requiring Ohio police officers to wear body cameras, though a state lawmaker representing northeast Columbus wants to change that.

• Rep. Dontavius Jarrells sponsored a bill last summer to require cameras be worn and enact guidelines for public disclosure of recordings following allegations of police misconduct.
• Nearly seven months after being introduced, the bill has yet to receive an initial committee hearing.