By Pat Culverhouse

School Resource Officers in all Webster Parish public schools are equipped with new body cameras to provide an extra layer of safety and accountability, thanks to funds provided through a grant obtained by the Webster Parish Office of Homeland Security.

Director of WPOHS Brian Williams said grant money of just over $11,000 was used to purchase 15 cameras, one for SROs in all parish schools.

“When the Parish Emergency Management Advisory Committee met in 2023, we discussed the need for body cameras as part of our overall safety plan for the parish,” Williams said. “We made it a priority and found grant funds to cover the cost.”

Williams said the committee is comprised of several different disciplines in the parish including fire, EMS, law enforcement, industry and the school system. Each year, the group discusses needs and training to ensure parish security and safety.

Body cameras have been issued to the Webster Parish School Board for distribution to each campus, Williams said.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker and Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver see the new body cameras as necessary tools for the officers who are assigned to the schools.

“This adds another level of transparency for everyone,” Parker said. “Our officers, the public and the school system must know the facts if there’s an incident on school grounds.”

Parker said officers are dealing with young people who can be vulnerable, and the steps they take to protect the safety of students and faculty should be documented.

“There’s really no better evidence than video evidence,” he said. “I’m glad Homeland Security was able to get these cameras for us.”

McIver said he sees body cameras as adding a level of accountability that can also be used for training purposes.

“From a video, we can see how our SRO handled a problem, whether it involved students or an adult,” McIver said. “Dealing with juveniles is different, and we can look at the video to see how we did and if we need to do things better…if we need training in certain areas.”

Officers on the streets are equipped with body cameras, McIver said, and footage of incidents is reviewed.

“Just like our patrol officers use them, the body camera is a good tool for our SROs. It will allow us to see what our officers are doing, and it can eliminate doubt that we did the right thing,” he said.