NORWICH – The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is following a nationwide trend of outfitting law enforcement personnel with body cameras in an effort to improve safety for both officers and civilians.

The Sheriff’s Office is in the final stages of an implementation plan for the cameras. Last year, the department purchased 54 body cameras to be used between its corrections and road patrol divisions. According to Sheriff Ernest Cutting, the devices will go a long way in “keeping people honest.”

“It keeps police officers honest, and it keeps the public honest when they see a camera with video and audio relaying everything that’s going on,” Cutting said at a recent meeting of the Chenango County Public Safety and Rules Committee.

Cutting has provided county officials an update on the department’s process of implementing the cameras. The Sheriff’s Office is currently nearing the end of an implementation policy and installing a server to store video footage.