Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies will be issued body-worn cameras in the near future.

Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton speaks during a press conference in 2012.

Sheriff Jerry Clayton announced Friday that the office will be acquiring and implementing the cameras, which will be used in conjunction with existing in-car video systems.

Accord to a release, the sheriff's office has been monitoring the development of body-worn cameras as well as independent research and policy analysis regarding the technology.

Clayton said the exploration process has been going on for more than a year, but was sped up about one month ago when the company that supplies the county with its in-car cameras announced the rollout of a new body-worn system.

"My initial concern was that they'd be priced so high they'd be cost prohibitive," he said.

"But there's a huge benefit to being able to use one company for both cameras. Keeping it all in one we don't have to worry about managing multiple servers and multiple systems."

Body-worn cameras will also be used on a stand-alone basis by officers on foot patrol, bicycle patrol and mounted patrol. The release states that the added documentation provided by the cameras will reduce service complaints, improve evidence management and likely lead to quicker resolution of investigations.

At an Oct. 15 forum organized by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Clayton said it would likely cost the county between $200,000 and $250,000 to fully deploy the new technology.

Clayton said that the purchase of the new body-worn cameras will come along with a complete upgrade of the in-car camera system--along with its serves--and will cost between $300,000 and $400,000.

"When we buy new equipment, we try to take into account the life span of that technology and save accordingly," he said.

"We've been anticipating updating our in-car video for a couple years. We have the money available to not only upgrade but also add on the body-worn cameras without taking any additional money from the county."

Following the Nov. 9 shooting of a 40-year-old woman by Ann Arbor police in a home on the city's west side, the city of Ann Arbor is also considering investing in body-worn cameras for officers. The city currently uses dashboard cameras and on-body audio recording devices.

Ben Freed is a general assignments reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at benfreed@mlive.com and follow him on twitter at @BFreedinA2. He also answers the phone at 734-623-2528.