“We certainly don’t want our work product to suffer:” Body-worn cameras could add more work for State’s Attorney Office

WORCESTER CO., Md.- With a Maryland mandate requiring law enforcement officers to wear body cameras by 2025, it could have an impact on a local state’s attorney office.

Kristin Heiser, the Worcester County State’s Attorney, said that while body cameras are going to be a useful tool they create a whole new batch of evidence that her office has to process, redact, and provide to defense attorneys.

Heiser said this will require a lot of resources and she wants to make sure her office is prepared for the new responsibilities.

“So, it’s a lot of additional work that will be coming to my office, that my staff already has very high caseloads, double the statewide average,” Heiser, said. “So, we are just not able to absorb that amount of work with the staffing levels that we currently have, we certainly don’t want our work product to suffer, we certainly don’t want our conviction rates to suffer.”

Heiser also said this is going to require collaboration with local elected officials and law enforcement.