COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday awarded more than $4.7 million in grant funding to 109 local law enforcement agencies for expenses associated with launching or maintaining body-worn camera programs.

Among the local departments, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office received $30,559; the Goshen police received $13,250; Struthers police received $12,889.44; and New Middletown police $2,928.

In Trumbull County, the city of Cortland police received $38,525; Howland Township police received $9,450 and Liberty Township officers will get $9,700.

“Body cameras have quickly become a necessary tool for modern policing,” said DeWine. “With these grants, more than four dozen law enforcement agencies that have never had body cameras before will be able to invest in this technology to help protect their officers and offer transparency to the public.”

The awards to Struthers, Howland and Liberty will create new body camera programs, while the other grants will add to the totals of the other local departments.

Liberty police Chief Toby Meloro said his department plans to equip 16 patrol officers as soon as the money arrives.

In total, this funding will help agencies purchase around the state around 1,700 new body cameras, as well as computer equipment, software, video storage, and more, a news release from the governor’s office states. DeWine prioritized the creation of the new Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program in the state’s 2022-2023 operating budget, with $10 million set aside for the biennum by the Ohio General Assembly. Additional body-worn camera funding will also be offered as part of the $250 million that DeWine and the legislature dedicated to law enforcement in December.

“This is just the start of many new ways we’ll be helping law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and innovative programs to fight crime and protect the public,” DeWine said.

news@vindy.com