Body Camera Pilot Program Set To End In Mount Vernon District

MOUNT VERNON, VA—The pilot program testing body cameras on Fairfax County Police will end Aug. 31 in the Mount Vernon, Mason and Reston Police Districts. Officers began wearing body cameras and undergoing training in mid-February. The program was fully implemented by mid-March.

The Board of Supervisors approved the 90-day pilot program last November, and it was extended to 180 days to better assess the impact. 203 body-worn cameras were distributed to officers in the Mount Vernon, Mason and Reston districts, as well as Motor Squad officers and Animal Protection officers. Not all officers wore body cameras, and school resource officers did not participate.

The three police districts were selected for the program because of their communities' diversity, the various types of calls for service and incidents resulting in the use of force, Fairfax County Police said.

Under the program, officers wearing body cameras recorded any call for service, law enforcement action, subject stop, traffic stop, search or police service. Officers did not record in certain situations or places like courthouses and medical facilities.

American University researchers are studying how the program worked. This includes surveying residents and officers on their perceptions of the body cameras. A full analysis could be released in early 2019.

Like in-car videos, the body camera program give Fairfax County Police a chance to build trust with the community and bolster accountability. Depending on how the pilot program works out, the Board of Supervisors could consider a permanent body camera program.

Image via Emily Leayman/Patch