Some El Paso school resource officers could receive body cameras

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Some El Paso school resource officers could receive body cameras after the El Paso County Commissioners Court approved the El Paso Sheriff's Office request to apply for a technology grant.

The Sheriff's Office needed permission from the Commissioners court to apply. That permission has been granted.

The Grant Award would be $22,500 with the County Matching $7,500 which School Resource Officer Commander, Ryan Urrutia said they already have in their existing budget.

"So it's not going to be anything. We're going to have to go and ask for. So we will use it out of existing budget, you know, for this type of grant and to be able to add transparency for our community, be able to document interactions with our community," said Urrutia.

It would pay for additional body cameras as well as storage for those devices.

"This would help us provide body cameras to school resource officers. We are adding to three school districts, San Elizaro, Faban's, and Tornillo. So it's very important for us to be able to equip our personnel to document any type of activity that's going on within the campuses, interactions with the public, and also to document for evidentiary purposes as well," said Ryan Urrutia

Parents in San Eizario Independent School District are on board with the added technology.

"It's better because sometimes the officers since they have the power to, they overtake the power. So it's better for them to have the cameras," said parent Terry Soria.

They say transparency helps to ease some worries they have for their children's safety.

"I mean, thank God nothing has happened here. I have a daughter here. And so sometimes when I hear the ambulance coming, and it seems like something happened, I just hope it's not my daughter or anybody. And so to be honest, I'm for it, you know, to record everything that's going on," Daniel Arreola.

They are hoping to hear back on their application in 60-90 days.