ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — The Erie County Sheriff's Office is one step closer to getting body cameras. The county legislature approved $600,000 for the equipment on Friday.
2 On Your Side spoke with Sheriff Tim Howard about the funding, none of which was asked for in the department's budget this year.
"I had indicated that we had two greater priorities, both our full-time squad as well as money made available for the new helicopter and was not going to ask for like a third choice until we had our earlier two and the message we got was that there was not money available for the helicopter, nor was there money for the full-time squad," said Howard. "So, I wasn't going to ask for funding for a third choice bring the body cameras. I still believe that should fall in third in those two regards."
Sheriff Howard says he is in favor of camera, but the funding received is still only about half of what the department needs to get the program up and running.