The Alexandria Police Department (APD) announced today that it will start rolling out its body worn camera program in April.
In a release, APD said the deployment will be on a rolling basis, with the goal of every sworn personnel being issued a camera within the next year.
According to the release:
In April 2023, APD will begin deployment of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) throughout the Department. This in turn will create greater transparency and accountability in its interactions with the public.
Deployment of the cameras will be on a rolling basis, with a goal of ensuring every sworn personnel is issued a camera as a part of their required gear within a year.
APD also released an FAQ outlining what the cameras do. The FAQ also notes that many policies, including the one that says who will be allowed to watch body camera footage and public requests for video, are still in draft form and have not been completed.
The department also said it will soon release a draft policy regarding the cameras, including how they will handle media requests.
APD has been struggling to get a body worn camera program off the ground since 2016. Funding for body worn cameras was approved last year with the goal of officers wearing cameras starting that summer.
Additional funds for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney to handle the added workload from body worn cameras was included in City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposed budget, released earlier this week.
The Alexandria Police Department will soon be adding Body Worn Cameras to their uniform.
This will result in greater transparency and accountability in our interactions with the public.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit: https://t.co/cFbLK1db2Q pic.twitter.com/ZOvevR85PW
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) March 2, 2023
