Beyond the camera: What’s included in Riverside County’s $32.69M body camera deal

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ)- Riverside County has approved a $32.69 million agreement to upgrade more than 2,000 body-worn cameras used by sheriff’s deputies, but officials say the price tag covers much more than the cameras themselves.

The five-year agreement with Axon includes 2,086 body-worn cameras, along with unlimited cloud storage, supporting equipment and technology needed to manage the large amount of video deputies record.

Captain Steve Favero with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies can record four, five or even six hours of footage in a day, making storage one of the major costs of operating the system.

“This contract is not just all cameras,” Favero said. “It’s actually the infrastructure behind it, the storage requirements and all of the supporting accessories.”

In previous contracts, Favero said the department would reach its storage limits and have to purchase additional space. Unlimited storage is included in the new agreement.

The department also says the initial 2,086 cameras will not be the only cameras deputies receive during the five-year contract.

Favero said body cameras have an average lifespan of about 30 months because of heavy daily use. Under the new agreement, the department expects to receive three generations of cameras over the life of the contract.

“It’s really not 2,000 cameras. It’s 6,000,” Favero said.

The agreement also includes new technology, including artificial intelligence that can transcribe recorded interactions and help deputies draft reports. Deputies will still be responsible for reviewing and editing those reports before submitting them.

Sheriff’s officials say the cameras also provide evidence for investigations and a record of interactions between deputies and the public.

“They do try to provide a little bit more transparency,” Lieutenant Deirdre Vickers, Public Information Officer said. “They help with investigations and evidence to our cases.”

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the agreement. It runs through August 2031 and will be paid for through the Sheriff’s Department budget rather than the county’s General Fund.

Riverside County has used Axon body cameras since 2021.