The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office plans to request body cameras and new stun guns as part of its 2016-2017 budget proposal, according to Sheriff Kevin Auten.

During a presentation to county commissioners, Auten expressed his interest in a package from Taser International, a company whose name is synonymous with stun guns. Some sheriff’s deputies already carry stun guns. The package presented by Taser representatives during Monday’s meeting, however, would cost about $100 per deputy to lease body cameras and stun guns.

Auten said work remains before the sheriff’s office submits a firm price, but he wanted to present commissioners with an option before budget discussions begin in 2016.

“In today’s society, we know that the law enforcement community is under fire for many different reasons,” he said. “As we look at body cameras, the technology that they bring and the relief of liability in capturing officers’ actions when we get citizens complaints, we felt like we were going to start doing our due diligence in researching some products that are available.”

Cameras could be paid for through a combination of federal, state and local funding. In the state’s budget, lawmakers included a provision that would provide up to $100,000 to local law enforcement agencies for body cameras. The budget provision provides $1 for every $2 in local matching funds.

With Taser’s package, sheriff’s deputies would either wear cylinder-shaped, head-mounted body cameras or rectangular cameras attached at chest level.

Taser representatives said the cameras would automatically activate in specific instances such as when an officer turns on sirens and lights or when a stun gun is activated. With Taser’s technology, every sheriff’s deputy within a 30-foot radius would actively be recording footage under certain circumstances.

Auten said a head-mounted camera could be knocked off easily in a confrontation, but would more accurately capture a deputy’s point of view. A chest-mounted camera wouldn’t be as easy to knock off, but wouldn’t accurately capture a deputy’s exact point of view.

Auten said he and other sheriff’s office command staff haven’t decided which type of body camera would be best or how many cameras to purchase. The stun guns in Taser’s package would replace outdated ones already being used by sheriff’s deputies. Taser representatives said Rowan County would receive new body cameras and stun guns at certain intervals as part of the package.

Sheriff’s deputies would need to take 10 minutes at the end of each day to upload footage and provide appropriate information about each clip. Footage would then be uploaded to evidence.com for storage. Auten said the unlimited, online storage is the most significant selling point for Taser’s package. His deputies wouldn’t need to spend extensive amounts of time or money storing footage.

Third-party management of the footage, however, may make it more difficult for citizens to receive a copy in a timely manner.

County Commissioner Mike Caskey, a police officer in Charlotte, said body cameras take time to get used to. Caskey said he was apprehensive when the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department first started distributing the cameras. With appropriate policies, however, Caskey said the cameras could be useful and protect officers from liability, which was a talking point for a portion of the meeting.

“It’s where we’re headed as a society and we might as well get to it sooner or later,” Caskey said. “It does protect officers and it does protect the citizens.”

One question Auten pondered during the presentation was which body camera footage should be made public. Auten expressed hesitation in publicly releasing video footage where an officer is responding to a house party call. In that video, a sheriff’s deputy might show important documents or the interior layout of a person’s home.

Auten also questioned whether it would be appropriate to release video footage where a sheriff’s deputy is simply getting a statement from a witness to a crime. A nosy neighbor might request the footage simply to see what was said, according to Auten.

A body camera purchase is still months, perhaps a year, away. The Sheriff’s Office would first submit its 2016-2017 budget request to the county. County manager Aaron Church would then make a budget recommendation. Commissioners typically begin budget discussions in late spring or early summer.

A final budget must be approved by July 1.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.