Prince William County Police Receive $250K In Federal Funds To Examine Use Of Force

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — The Prince William County Police Department will use an independent contractor to examine the use of force by its officers. Officials said they'd use $250,000 in federal funds to finance the analysis.

The funds are part of the Department of Justice Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants. Officials said congresswoman Jennifer Wexton, who represents Virginia's 10th District, spearheaded the push for the grant.

"I’m proud to successfully deliver this funding for the Prince William Police Department to conduct an independent use of force review that will help our law enforcement better serve their community,” Wexton said in a news release. "I’ve worked closely with County and Department leaders to make this priority a reality and look forward to the ways our officers will benefit from the new policies, trainings, and data collection recommendations we anticipate from this study."

In the release, the police department said the plan would assess its current use of force policies and training. Officials also noted that the review would evaluate the department's culture, supervision, and de-escalation strategies.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to further explore and better understand the data and the impact of our use of force policies,” said Peter Newsham, Chief of the Prince William County Police Department. “This research will undoubtedly be a great benefit to the community and the department."

The contractor would also analyze the use of force data that the police department already collects and recommend additional data. They will also evaluate how the existing data should be interpreted and made available to the public.

Ann Wheeler is the Chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. "We are excited to bring our police department even further expertise and knowledge to enhance its already stellar accreditation and engagement with the public,” Wheeler said.

Police officers disproportionately use force against people of color in Prince William County, according to a December report from the Racial and Social Justice Commission. In 2020, Black people represented about 20 percent of the county's population. However, they accounted for half of the police department's use of force incidents.

"As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I'm doing all I can to meet the needs of our district," Wexton said. "This project is a perfect example of federal resources that will have a positive impact for the entire Prince William community."

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