Fairfax County Police To Wear Body Cameras Starting In 2018

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Body cameras are coming to a police officer near you next spring after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a pilot program Tuesday.

The pilot program will involve all operational uniformed patrol officers from the Mason and Mount Vernon district stations, and will involve 230 cameras over three months with an option to extend it to six months, according to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department.

"This comes following the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission Final Report recommendations to outfit officers with body worn cameras," the statement reads. "The pilot body worn camera program is designed to provide the Department with the opportunity to review police-community member encounters as they occur, as well as provide an additional degree of safety for our officers as they patrol the streets."

The cameras will be worn on the officer's uniform or ballistic vest. All officers will receive training before being issued the equipment.

"Officers will be expected to activate the body worn camera during any law enforcement-public encounter related to a call for service, law enforcement action, subject stop, traffic stop, search or police service," the statement adds. "The officer should start recording at their arrival/response, or as soon as it is practical and safe to do so, and leave it on for the duration of the incident. That includes transporting an individual to any detention facility."

Officers will not record in courthouses and medical facilities, although it should be turned on if use of force is "anticipated or initiated," the statement notes.

The county has chosen Axon to provide the camera device, software, and storage. The start-up cost for the pilot program is $684,151.

"We are projecting the pilot to begin in about 100 days, likely sometime in March," the statement reads. "This will allow us the time to onboard staff to implement program and make modest infrastructure improvements to the two district stations taking part in the pilot."

Image via FCPD