Police Worn Cameras May Be Coming Soon To All Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Police Department revealed plans for how it could meet the Board of Supervisors's request to implement the next phase of the FCPD body-worn camera program in Fiscal Year 2021.

The county rolled out phase one of the program on May 1, which implemented cameras at three district stations: Reston, Mason, and Mount Vernon. However, the implementation of the cameras at the remaining six stations in phase two (2021) and three (2022) was one of the items the Board cut from the budget to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

At its June 9 meeting, the Board voted unanimously to find funding to implement the remaining phases in FY 2021, and gave FCPD a June 30 deadline to respond by memo on how it could make that happen. Supervisors were motivated to take this step due to the recent protests across the country calling for greater accountability and transparency of police departments.

Maj. Chantel Cochrane, who has been involved with the co-production of FCPD's body-worn program since 2017, gave a brief overview Tuesday for the supervisors at a meeting of the Board's Public Safety Committee.

In the original phased implementation, the Sully, McLean and West Springfield stations would have gotten their cameras in phase two (FY 2022), with the Fair Oaks, Franconia, and Lorton stations receiving theirs in phase three (FY 2022). Additional units, such as CIT/Diversion First, parking enforcement, and the Special Operations Division, would have also received theirs in phase three.

In order to get the remaining two phases into FY 2021, Cochrane said it would cost $4.5 million. This would be in addition the $1.7 million already approved for the program in the adopted FY 2021 Budget.

"Currently, we are working on a timeline for the acceleration of phase two and phase three," Cochrane said. "It's going to be detailed. We'll put it in a memorandum for that June 30 date."

For its body-worn camera policy, FCPD took the framework from the Virginia Department of Justice Service's Model Policy and tweaked it to fit Fairfax County, with the help of the department's community partners.

FCPD conducted a 6-month pilot program in 2018. After the results were reviewed and the Board approved the program, it went into affect at three stations in May.

FCPD's policy for when an officer must activate or deactivate a body-worn camera is:

"All BWC equipped officers shall activate their BWC during their response to a scene or as soon as it is practical and safe to do so and leave it on for the duration of the incident."

The following incidents are when an officer must activate their BWC:

• Upon arrival at any call for service
• Traffic or subject stop
• Self-initiated event involving a rendering of public service or law enforcement activity
• Searches of persons, buildings, or vehicles
• Searches for suspect who has fled a scene
• Collection of physical evidence for a crime
• Transportation of any person in custody.

Due to privacy concerns, officers are required to turn off their body worn camera in some locations, including medical or mental health facilities, courthouses, or on school grounds.

Officers are also required to turn off their cameras when there is an expectation of privacy, such as a service call at a home, when taking detailed victim statements, or when a community member reports a crime.

FCPD is also investigating technology that would allow activation of a body worn camera automatically in certain circumstances.

Also see ...

Fairfax Supervisors Prioritize Funding For Police Worn Cameras

Body-Worn Police Cameras Debut May 1 In Fairfax County