Deputies at Wyoming jail now required to wear body cameras

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Deputies who work in a Wyoming county jail are now required to wear body cameras, the first program of its kind in the state, Sweetwater County sheriff’s officials said.

Sweetwater County Detention Center uniformed deputies on all shifts must record any contact with an inmate or when they are in an inmate zone, with some privacy exceptions, according to a statement by the sheriff’s office. The recordings will be saved and available for official review.

Sheriff’s officials said the cameras instill a higher level of professionalism and public trust. Misconduct complaints have plummeted since patrol deputies started wearing body cameras in 2016, and they hope to replicate the success in the jail.