The eyes of the world have been on Ferguson, Missouri ever since an unarmed black teen was shot and killed by a white police officer earlier this month.
Much has been made about the initial response and whether police should wear cameras.
Flagler County's top cop has made his stance known. Sheriff Jim Manfre issued a letter calling for “a time for cameras.”
Using his past experiences as a prosecutor and sheriff, combined with the events in Ferguson, Missouri, the sheriff said the federal government should make money available for cameras for all law enforcement.
It's something he's already done for his department.
“I think we're in a video generation," Manfre said. "Jurors arrive in our courtrooms with all of the expectations they have from their daily experiences.”
Sheriff Manfre admitted dash cams or body cameras are not the be-all, end-all of issues seen in Ferguson or any other local community. There are clearly larger challenges every jurisdiction faces.
Four days after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Corey Tanner was shot to death as US Marshals tried to take him into custody in rural Flagler County.
Following the incident, tempers flared with FCSO deputies on that front line. But it never reached the flashpoint seen in Missouri. FDLE is investigating the shooting and very little information has been released.
Bunnell's Police Chief Tom Foster was unable to speak on camera, but said what he takes away from Ferguson is to tell the public what you know at the time and keep them updated.
Chief Foster, as the head of a small department with limited resources, also knows the need to diversify his force to better represent the community they serve. Relationships with community leaders are vital.
Sheriff Manfre said law enforcement needs to be visible. “The most important thing you do with your community is do community policing," Manfre said. "You have to know your community. You have to make sure that they know that you take their versions into account. You have to have those neighborhood relationships.”
Could Flagler County be the site of the next “Ferguson?”
Nothing's impossible, but Sheriff Manfre hopes by taking a hard look at incidents like these, the deputies in his department will be better suited to handle whatever they meet.