By Staff

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded nearly $75,000 in grant funding to the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office for a new body-worn camera program.

The $75,000 grant was the second-highest amount awarded in Virginia, according to U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, whose office announced the grant.

The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office intends to purchase 47 body-worn cameras and related equipment with the money, according to a news release from the congresswoman’s office.

“Establishing a Body Worn Camera program was one of my top priorities when I became Sheriff of Culpeper County,” Sheriff Timothy Chilton said in the release. “We are so fortunate to be awarded this grant as this agency was about 10 years behind when I took office in technology and cutting-edge investigative tools … Body Worn Cameras promote transparency and preserve unbiased evidence and having a Body Worn Camera program promotes safety to our entire community.”

The funding was made possible through the justice department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and Justice & Security Strategies Small, Rural, and Tribal Body-Worn Camera Program, a micro-grant initiative that aims to support law enforcement agencies seeking to establish or expand comprehensive body-worn camera programs and have specified plans to implement this technology, according to Spanberger’s office.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance and Justice & Security Strategies announced this month a total of $6 million in grants to 170 small, rural and tribal law enforcement agencies looking to purchase or upgrade body-worn cameras. The grantees include 112 small towns, 40 county sheriff’s and county police agencies, 12 federally recognized tribal law enforcement agencies and six other agencies. The Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office is one of seven law enforcement organizations across Virginia tapped for funding.

“Getting more body-worn cameras into the hands of deputies in the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office will both help them do their jobs and increase trust between law enforcement and the Culpeper community,” Spanberger said in the release. “Earlier this year, my team and I recognized that this funding opportunity would help provide Culpeper law enforcement with the tools, confidence, and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

Paul Bates, chairman of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, welcomed the news.

“Culpeper County will utilize these funds to establish a Body Worn Camera program and provide our Sheriff’s Office with the necessary equipment to do so,” Bates said.