Sedgwick Co. Jail cameras don't record video

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June 15, 2012|By Brian Heap | Factfinder 12 Investigator

(WICHITA, Kan.) — The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office is close to finishing the investigation of an inmate's claim that he was raped by a jail deputy.

Investigators have completed interviews and are waiting on the results of a sexual assault exam, Sheriff Bob Hinshaw said Friday.

An inmate represented by attorney Mark Schoenhofer claims he was handcuffed, threatened with tasing and raped in his cell. The alleged attack happened June 3, 2012 around 3:00 a.m.

"What is going on is absolute abuse of law enforcement authority," Schoenhofer told Eyewitness News earlier this week.

FactFinder 12 Investigators wanted to know why none of the approximately 200 cameras inside and outside the jail is set up for automatic recording.

Cameras track inmate movement in the halls, elevators and other common areas. Everything is monitored by four deputies in the jail's master control room.

Hinshaw said master control got its last major upgrade in 1999. Because of technology limitations at the time, it was never set up for 24/7 video recording.

The master control room has several VCRs. The expectation has always been that a deputy could put in a tape and begin recording in the event of a fight or other problem. However, Hinshaw said by the time that happens incidents are usually over. He said the system is "antiquated" and impractical. As a result, the VCRs aren't used.

Currently, the jail is in the midst of a $3.8 million system upgrade that will include around the clock video recording inside the pods.

Hinshaw said there won't be a camera in most of the cells. So if something happens inside a specific cell, the recording would only show everything outside the door. Still. he believes the addition of digital recording will help investigations and keep deputies and inmates safer.

The master control system upgrade should be complete in late 2012 or early 2013.

Cameras don't record at the Sedgwick County jail

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