(PHOTO BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
CAMERAS … Sheriff Kochert discusses the department’s body-worn cameras with the commissioners and is also asking for funding to help pay for software.
By: Renea Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
renea@thevillagereporter.com
On Tuesday, January 28th, the Williams County Commissioners met with Heather Mercer, the director of communications, to discuss the protocols for dispatching emergency responses in Pioneer and Bridgewater Township.
Pioneer and Bridgewater have been in an ongoing dispute regarding a contract for the services provided by Pioneer.
Pioneer Mayor Ed Kidston emailed the commissioners to inform them that the village has sent Bridgewater trustees a new contract and is asking the county for support. The new contract has a grace period of March 1st.
Commissioner Terry Rummel said he talked to two Bridgewater Township officials, who are also family members. They said the township intends to honor its three-year commitment to other fire departments.
Mercer’s department implemented dual dispatching at the beginning of the year. This method is a temporary solution, and currently, both Pioneer and another department are being paged for calls.
Questions have emerged regarding who will be responsible for the costs associated with any necessary changes that Motorola may need to make to the mapping system.
“I don’t think Pioneer should pay for any of it, I’m not sure we should pay for any of it, but somebody needs to pay Motorola to change these maps, so it fits,” said Rummel.
Commissioner Scott Lirot emphasized the need to bring everyone together calmly to resolve this issue. “They’re putting their citizens at risk,” he stated.
Mercer stated that for now continuing to use dual mapping is the best course of action until all of this is settled and then they can redo mapping if needed.
The commissioners all agreed with her and thanked her for all she did and is doing during this difficult process.
The commissioners then met with Al Word, a former commissioner and former sheriff of the county. Word was brought in to shed some light on the move of control of the operations of 911 communications to the sheriff.
He started from the beginning back in 1974 when he first became a deputy under Sheriff Denver Mock and gave the history of 911 communications.
“In 1989, I became the elected sheriff, and everything operated as it always had,” he stated. “The idea of instituting a Central Dispatch and 911 came to light, and a levy was placed on the ballot and failed.”
He went on to discuss how Central Dispatch went into operation and was doing the same thing the sheriff’s office had been doing for years.
“I never relinquished and turned over the dispatch to anyone, it was stolen, Word said. Word encouraged the control of operations to be moved to the Williams County Sheriff.
“The voters elect a sheriff who they believe has the ability to handle and control such situations,” he said. The commissioners recently met with Sheriff Tom Kochert to discuss body camera software. Kochert is seeking funding to cover the costs of body-worn cameras for his deputies.
He also needs to purchase redaction software for the cameras and holders to attach the cameras to the deputies.
The cameras have already been ordered and will be funded through his Federal Office of Justice grants. Kochert emphasized that these cameras will not be deployed until a proper policy has been established and all personnel have been trained, including training on the redaction software.
Kochert feels that these cameras are a “necessity in this day and age.” “It’s going to keep us out of trouble,” he added. “That’s what we’re trying to do, is keep us out of trouble.”
He is requesting approximately $8,400 for the redaction software, which will also include video storage. This redaction software will prevent the office from unintentionally releasing footage that should remain confidential. The software allows for redactions such as blurred faces, muted audio, and trimmed segments of videos.
He believes that these cameras will enhance the accuracy of post-incident reports, as deputies will be able to review footage while completing their reports. He aims to have these cameras operational in the field by the end of February.
The sheriff also discussed a state law that was recently passed that allows police agencies to charge for video public records requests.
The charge can be up to a maximum of $750, but that fee will be solely based on the time spent getting the video recordings.
Also, during this meeting, the commissioners learn of a quote given to the Williams County Department of Aging to replace a hot water heater and tank at the Bryan Senior Center. The heater and tank were quoted at $19,000.
With the large amount, the commissioners decided to go look at the equipment and then decided to seek other quotes before making a final decision.
