Discussions with the Sheriff, Part 3: Body-worn cameras help with transparency as well as training
Clark County Sheriff John Horch said videos often show his deputies using proper de-escalation tactics during incidents, and he is grateful for video evidence to be transparent with the public, whether the video is ‘good or bad’
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
Recently, Clark County Sheriff John Horch sat down with Clark County Today to discuss a number of subjects concerning the Clark County Sheriff’s Office: Staffing issues, department morale, the office’s relationship with federal agencies, the implementation of body-worn cameras, de-escalation training in law enforcement, and more.
Clark County Today is posting several stories in his series.
In the first post, the sheriff sounded the alarm on staffing shortages.
In the second post, the sheriff detailed his office’s policy regarding federal law enforcement, such as immigration.
In this post, he talks about the implementation of body-worn cameras, and how they help the public to better understand law enforcement and help train his deputies on tactics, such as de-escalation tools.
“… if it shows good or bad, I’m going to put it out there. I want to be transparent so people can see.”
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office began testing its body-worn cameras with a few deputies in the spring of 2023. By the fall, the program expanded beyond the testing phase. And by January of 2024, all deputies and their vehicles had been equipped with Axon cameras.
“I think they’ve been great. I’ve only heard positive comments on them,” Horch said.
The cameras are tools that the sheriff’s office uses to educate the public as well as train deputies on proper procedures. That would include de-escalation tactics.
“We want to show on bo
