Sunday’s arrest of an ex-convict accused of sneaking a gun into the county jail demonstrates the need for an extensive video security system, Sheriff Carlos Carrizales said.

“It’s my responsibility to ensure not only the safety of the inmates but of the staff,” Carrizales said.

Commander Mike Page, the man in charge of the jail, agreed more video cameras are needed.

Now all they have to do is convince the people who will pay for such a system — Bee County commissioners.

The sheriff and his deputies haven’t had much success so far in that endeavor.

Page said the sheriff’s department has been asking county commissioners to allocate the money needed to install a full system of 100 cameras in the jail facility. The total cost of the system would be about $126,000. But the money has not been budgeted.

Months ago Carrizales allowed Page to spend $33,000 in budged funds to install the 30 cameras now in use in the building. “The system we had was severely outdated,” Carrizales said.

“We’ve had slips and falls in cells and hallways,” said Southmayd.

“Now we have the capability to see what happened,” Carrizales said. That protects the county from lawsuits.

“Before we spent the $33,000, that camera in the sally port would have been useless,” Page said.

Carrizales said now deputies can respond instantly to calls of fights in the jail.

“The sheriff is charged with the care, custody and control of the inmates,” Page said. Although the new cameras have helped, the jail could do an even better job of providing safety for the prisoners if the full, 100-camera system could be installed.

Page said that once the complete system is in place, jail officials like himself and the sheriff will be able to monitor the video camera system over the internet from their home computers.

Southmayd said the jail’s booking area is especially in need of more cameras.

“We’re saving money here,” Carrizales said of the sheriff’s office. He said the department receives little funding from the Commissioners Court. He said he recently bought six new patrol cars at no cost to county taxpayers.

Page said the jail’s insurance company loves the new system. “The inmates know we’re watching them now too,” he said. But the jail is not completely covered by video surveillance and that needs to be addressed, he added.