Crime & Safety
Body-Worn Police Cameras Debut May 1 In Fairfax County
Some Fairfax County Police officer will begin wearing body-worn cameras later this week, but funding for full implementation remains unsure.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Police will be rolling out the first phase of its three-phased Body-Worn Camera (BWC) program on Friday, May 1, at the Reston, Mason, and Mount Vernon stations. The second and third phases, which have 2021 and 2022 implementation dates, may be delayed due to the impact of the coronavirus on the economy.
"All stakeholder employees for phase one are nearing completion of their training and use of the body worn camera systems," said Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr., in a video message on the FCPD blog. "This includes staff from the police department, the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, the Public Defenders Office, and court personnel."
Roessler originally proposed the body-worn camera program in June 2015. Following a successful test in 2018 at the Reston, Mason, and Mount Vernon stations, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved funding for the first phase of the BWC program as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 carryover budget. On Friday, 416 cameras will be in place at those three stations.
Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Although Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill included funding for phase two in the FY 2021 Budget Proposal he introduced in February, the revised budget he submitted to the Board earlier this month only included a $1.77 million funding increase to meet the workload and information technology requirements for the first phase of the program.
No additional funding in the revised budget proposal, which Hill submitted to take into account the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, means the last last two phases of the program would be delayed.
Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Originally, the plan was to issue cameras to personnel at the Sully, McLean, and West Springfield stations in 2021, and at the Fair Oaks, Franconia, and South County stations in 2022. Now, it's uncertain when the funding for those phases will be allocated.
"We are committed to seeing the Body-Worn Camera program through to full implementation as the economy improves in the future," Roessler said, in the video message.
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