ASHLAND — Ashland police in 2022 became equipped with body-worn cameras.
After the city’s contract with Getac, a tech company, expired at the end of September 2025, the police division entered a $485,283 contract with Axon, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
The current five-year contract came with 36 cameras and 16 dash cams, including a software update after two and a half years.
Those cameras, manufactured by Axon, have unlimited capacity for data storage and artificial intelligence that helps with redacting videos if needed following public requests.
This equipment was purchased using police levy funds. Ashland Mayor Matt Miller in September said the Samaritan Hospital Foundation agreed to donate $60,000 over three payments for the program.
Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced additional support for local law enforcement body-worn camera programs around the state, including the Ashland Police Division and Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.
The police division was awarded $55,783.02 and the sheriff’s office received $17,010 out of the $4.4 million in funding in the fifth round of the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program — administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services.
Body-worn cameras valuable for documentation, training
Ashland police Capt. Craig Kiley said the division went live with its Axon cameras on Jan. 1.
Beyond the physical camera equipment, Kiley said software, storage and licensing can quickly become costly. This most recent batch of funding will help the division continue to support its program, he said Tuesday.
“They (body-worn cameras) provide the best documentation possible for the public and the police,” the captain said. “They provide video evidence to document what happens.”
The cameras worn by officers are tools useful for following up on cases and being able to explain what took place to the public, courts or other officers, Kiley said. Footage captured by the devices is also valuable for training purposes.
In December 2019, the Ashland County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of 40 body-worn cameras — and required software — for the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office with a price tag of $26,060.
Commissioners in April 2025 approved a five-year contract with SecuraMax for cloud storage. The software increased storage for additional footage produced by dash and body-worn cameras. The contract costs $19,896 annually, according to previous Ashland Source reporting.
The sheriff’s office received $25,100 — also in April 2025 — from the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice. According to previous reporting, some of that money was spent on additional cameras and charging stations.
Around $10,000 was put toward reimbursing the Ashland County commissioners.
Ashland County Sheriff Kurt Schneider said his office was equipped with new body-worn cameras in 2025. Those cameras came with Wi-Fi capabilities, used to upload data and footage to the sheriff’s office’s server as soon as deputies arrive in the parking lot.
Some of the funding received this year will be spent on fees related to storage and server maintenance, Schneider said Thursday.
“We are going to use those funds for cameras we may have that are broken, but the majority is going to be used for the annual storage license,” the sheriff said.
Schneider described body-worn cameras as a “blessing” and said he is thankful for the consistent funding his office receives for the program.
“This is just another level of providing transparency to the public,” he said of the devices.
More about the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program
DeWine created the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program in 2021. As a result, 370 law enforcement agencies have received funding as part of the initiative, the release said.
“Today, body-worn cameras on law enforcement officers are commonplace; they protect both the public and our first responders,” DeWine said Monday. “My administration is proud to have helped hundreds of local agencies incorporate this valuable technology into their daily routines.”
A total of 131 law enforcement agencies across the state will receive a grant award, including 10 agencies that will use funding to establish new body-worn camera programs, the release said.
The other 121 agencies awarded funding will dedicate monies toward expanding or upgrading existing technology.
OCJS received $17.2 million worth of grant requests for this round of funding, according to the release. All qualifying agencies that applied for grants to establish new body-worn camera programs were given priority.
The remaining funds went to existing programs to upgrade aging cameras, add storage capacity or hire record-retention personnel.