The Beaufort County jail will get a new round of upgrades totaling more than $67,000.

Beaufort County commissioners voted last week to allow the sheriff’s office to amend its budget to make room for funding a new video surveillance system, upgrade the public address system and fix the digital system that records rounds made by detention officers.

Chief Deputy Charlie Rose presented what was initially a funding request for those items to commissioners, but commissioners suggested the sheriff’s office take money from the department’s existing budget and approved a budget amendment for the upgrades.

Rose said the surveillance system upgrade was a recommendation from jail administrator Kathryn Bryan and described how she proved the necessity: sending detention officers into cellblocks and pointing out blind spots where they disappeared from monitors in the central control station.

“We don’t have good line of sight. We also have a lot of blind spots that aren’t covered by cameras,” Rose said. “We were looking at the monitors together and I could see where inside the block we could see them and where we could not. … It’s very imperative that we get this done.”

Rose said new systems were being purchased with the future in mind — upgrades to existing systems could conceivably be moved to another, new facility.

The budget amendment came on the heels of Rose notifying commissioners that the sheriff’s office would be applying to National Institute of Corrections, part of U.S. Department of Justice, for a Jail and Justice System Analysis, a study encompassing the detention center, inmate population and its relationship with the court system, to determine current and future jail needs.

According to one commissioner, the combination of the two discussions was worrying.

“I’m very concerned in the interest of the public and $20 million that we’re even discussing a new jail,” Commissioner Hood Richardson said, adding that he believes Sheriff Ernie Coleman has interest in a new jail based on a letter to the commissioners. “I am concerned that we are back into talking about a new jail.”

Rose was quick to point out that the sheriff’s office had requested a jail assessment solely for an objective review — an objective review that other commissioners believe is needed.

“I’d like to thank the sheriff and chief deputy for moving forward with this. I think it’s long overdue,” said Commissioner Ron Buzzeo said.