November 7, 2023 - Monterey County Sheriff's Office officials report that on September 30, 2023, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office was awarded a $600,000 grant for body worn cameras from the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The BJA was created in 1984 to reduce violent crime, create safer communities, and reform our Nation’s criminal justice system. BJA strengthens the Nation’s criminal justice system and helps America’s state, local, and tribal jurisdictions reduce and prevent crime, reduce recidivism, and promote a fair and safe criminal justice system. BJA focuses its programmatic and policy efforts on providing a wide range of resources, including training and technical assistance, to law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, reentry, justice information sharing, and community-based partners to address chronic and emerging criminal justice challenges nationwide.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office submitted a comprehensive grant proposal in April to the BJA for consideration. The proposal detailed the overall objectives of a body worn camera program at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. These objectives include transparency, safer communities, deterring crime and inappropriate behavior, and stronger prosecutions for crimes and criminals that pose a threat and danger to society.

The BJA award will be used to assist in the purchase and implementation of body worn cameras to outfit our patrol and corrections bureaus helping to safeguard our community, our staff, and the incarcerated persons in care. Sheriff Tina Nieto stated, “This grant award will not only allow the Sheriff’s Office to expand its capabilities during criminal investigations but will also allow the Sheriff’s Office to expand on its efforts to build community trust while providing increased transparency and oversight of our operations.” The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is committed to improving our technology and building community trust and rapport through transparency and accountability. This generous award from the BJA will help us achieve those goals.

Source: Monterey County Sheriff's Office