On June 23, 2015, representatives from the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT) presented the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners with two grant award checks. The first check, in the amount of $2,100.00, is to pay all expenses for a deputy to attend the Gracie Survival Tactics Ground Fighting School. The second check, in the amount of $25,000, is to pay for body cameras.
The Gracie Survival Tactics Ground Fighting School provides extra needed tools for police officers due to the increase in physical assaults on law enforcement officers according to Major Dave McDowell. One of the deputies will be assigned to the two week school as soon as time in the schedule permits. The Gracie School holds classes in numerous locations around the United States.
The $2500 for body cameras required a match of $2500 which the sheriff’s office was able to provide, exceeding it by $600, to be able to supply six cameras. The pilot program has some unanswered questions such as data storage requirements to retain data by Federal and State regulations, due to two pending bills. According to Major McDowell, how best to implement the cameras needs to have a sound policy developed.
Margit Miller / Calvert Beacon