Police Body Cameras Launched In Mount Vernon District

MOUNT VERNON, VA—Police officers in the Mount Vernon District Station are starting to wear body cameras as part of a pilot program. The program kicked off Monday, Feb. 19 with the first round of officers receiving training. It will gradually roll out with full implementation for Mount Vernon officers by March 13. The program could last three months or be extended to six months.

Police Chief Edwin Roessler proposed the pilot program back in December 2016, and last November the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to implement the program in 2018. In all, 230 body cameras will be utilized by officers in the Mount Vernon, Mason and Reston Police Districts.

"These locations were selected due to the diversity of the communities, and the varying types of calls for service and incidents resulting in the use of force," reads a statement from Fairfax County Police.

Officers will record encounters with community members during a call for service and leave it on for the whole incident. Residents should be aware they can be lawfully recorded in public places.

Police can record in private places only when they have the authority to be there. Residents have the right to decline being recorded in private areas except in cases of in-progress criminal investigations, arrests, or searches of the location. Officers will not record in courthouses and medical facilities, as well as residents reporting crimes anonymously or giving statements about alleged rapes or sexual assaults. Not all officers will wear body cameras, and school resource officers will not participate.

Throughout the pilot program, researchers at American University will evaluate use of force statistics, the number of community member complaints, changes in policing activities and the community members' assessment of police legitimacy. The team will look at statistics and civilian feedback before, during and after the program.

Like in-car video recordings, the body cameras will give another perspective to build trust with the community and bolster accountability, Roessler said at a news conference last Friday. "I support body-worn cameras, and I believe this pilot project will help all of us make the most informed decision moving forward as to whether body-worn cameras will be effective in our community."

Depending on how the pilot program works out, the Board of Supervisors could consider a permanent body camera program. The county is responsible for a startup cost of about $684,151. If the country extends the program, it would have to pay recurring data storage costs starting in 2021.

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