Dane County Executive Melissa Agard has proposed $3 million in the county’s 2027 budget to equip sheriff’s deputies with body-worn cameras, an investment county officials say could improve transparency and accountability. The funding is part of the proposed budget and has not yet been approved. Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said it would build on the department’s camera pilot program. His office is developing policies governing when cameras are used, how long recordings are kept and when footage can be released. “Technology alone does not create trust,” Agard said, adding that transparency and accountability must guide how the cameras are implemented. She said recordings could help clarify disputed events and protect both residents and deputies. Barrett called the cameras a resource for accountability and public trust, and credited collaboration with community partners and elected officials for advancing the investment. The proposal comes amid renewed local debate over police cameras following the shooting of Corey Ruiz by a Madison police officer. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras, leaving bystander video as the main publicly available video evidence of the incident. Community members subsequently urged Madison officials to equip officers with cameras; the city does not have a uniform body-camera program. A Wisconsin Department of Justice survey cited by the county found that 88% of responding law enforcement agencies used at least one recording device, while 12% reported using neither body cameras nor dashboard cameras.