Collier County spends $7M to add hundreds of body cams, dash cams to sheriff’s office

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office plans to add hundreds of new body cameras and dash cameras to its fleet at a cost of $7 million.

The county plans to suit up 600 deputies with body cameras.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” said Christina Nicholes in Naples.

“We need it, OK,” said Todd Norris in Naples. “We’ve got to protect both the citizens as well as the police, and we need to know what goes on at all times whenever it occurs.”

People in Collier County are on board with the sheriff’s office announcement it will invest $3 million for new body cameras and $4 million to replace aged-out dash cameras.

“I think it not only protects the citizens, I believe it protects the police officers because they are always judged incorrectly without seeing the full story, and I think this will go a long way,” Nicholes said.

People we spoke to think this will help.

“There’s gotta be trust on both sides, and we gotta know what’s going on before we get into a riot situation,” Norris said.

“I think it’s money well spent,” Nicholes said. “You’re investing in the community and in the officers.”

The NAACP in Collier County said they “welcome this addition to their tools.”

The county and the sheriff’s office hope to have the body cameras operational next year. The replacement of the dash cameras will happen over the next five years.