Sheriff proposes body camera policy for county law enforcement

Kirsten Wisniewski | March 10, 2025

With an ever-increasing number of cities and counties across Minnesota implementing body-worn camera programs for law enforcement officers, the Cook County Sheriff’s department is working on their policy.

Sheriff Pat Eliasen presented a draft of the policy at the Feb. 18 Committee of the Whole meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Further discussion with the board is expected in March.

Eliasen told WTIP that when the conversation around body cameras started several years ago, he was reluctant about it. “I was very resistant to it. And not resistant to the idea, but resistant to the idea that we were going to be forced into it,” Eliasen said, adding that over time his position on the subject has changed. Now, he said he sees the value of a body camera program.

Body camera benefits

“A lot of it has to do with accountability and transparency,” Eliasen said, “And we need to make sure that we gain and keep the trust of the public. I think body cameras are a good way of doing that. I mean, it shows some accountability, especially for the staff, and it can also sometimes show some accountability for the public as well.”

While public accountability is a major motivation behind many body camera policies, Eliasen said there are also ways the footage can be used as an investigative tool. He said it could be used by deputies as they write reports to ensure accuracy. He also pointed out the lag that can occur between an incident and any accompanying legal proceedings. Having access to footage from an incident could help deputies review a case, even if months have elapsed before a suspect is prosecuted. Additionally, Eliasen said a body-worn camera could prove to be a less intimidating way to record interviews, saying they may be “not as invasive as sitting down with somebody with a tape recorder right in front of their face.”

The price of technology

One element of Eliasen’s initial skepticism, he said, was the ongoing monetary cost that body camera programs can carry. While he was unable to give specific numbers, he said he believes the least expensive part of a body camera program will be the initial implementation. Maintenance and upgrades, according to Eliasen, will make up a bigger proportion of the cost.

Technology is becoming a larger part of police work. Last year the department created a Deputy Sheriff/Investigator role, in part to address the changing ways that digital evidence is handled and investigated. Eliasen said technology is changing rapidly in the field.

“It’s kind of ironic, because law enforcement is one of the fastest changing professions. I mean, it changes weekly and sometimes daily, you know, with with policies or technology or what have you, and you have people who will go into law enforcement, who hate change,” he said.

The Law Enforcement Center renovation

As Eliasen continues work on a body camera policy, the county has been moving forward on other changes for his department. In February, the board saw a presentation from architectural firm BKV Group of designs for a major renovation and addition to the Law Enforcement Center. The architects worked with a group of stakeholders from the county, including Eliasen and Jail Administrator Ben Hallberg. Eliasen said he and Hallberg were able to weigh in on the functionality of different spaces and ensure that the designs met the department’s needs.

While the designs have not been finalized, and the board has yet to move forward with a construction plan, Eliasen said working with BVK Group has been a positive experience for him. “They listened to us, you know, they were right there in our corner. And it was really nice. It was really easy working with them, and I’m really excited for this expansion.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Sheriff Pat Eliasen live on DayBreak. Audio of that interview is below.