Reno school police officers to wear body cameras in August

RENO — School police officers will start wearing body cameras after the school board approved a contract to purchase the equipment, Nevada district officials said.

Washoe County School District police officers are expected to start wearing the cameras in August after school board members approved a five-year contract with Axon on Tuesday, KRNV-TV reported.

The cameras will cost about $188,628 with $55,000 the first year and about $33,500 each year after, board members said.

School district Police Chief Jason Trevino expects the equipment to be tested around spring break and operational for the next school year, he said.

Reno Police, Sparks Police and Washoe County sheriff's office deputies started wearing Axon-built cameras in July 2018 after recent legislation required it, officials said.

Another bill was passed in 2019 adding school police to the list of officers required to wear body cameras, state policymakers said.

The primary focus of the cameras will be for evidentiary purposes in police cases, school district spokeswoman Vicki Campbell said.

The legislation comes after a officer-involved shooting at Hug High School in 2016 when a student was waving knives around on the school's campus, authorities said. Student cellphone videos were used to help the investigation, but body cameras would have been more beneficial, Trevino said.