CHANTILLY, Va. — Police body cameras are taking hold in several law enforcement agencies in fast-growing Loudoun County, with the goal of soon equipping all officers and sheriff’s deputies.
Body camera programs have drawn both praise and criticism for documenting interactions between officers and citizens, including police-involved shootings nationally.
In a recent forum, sponsored by the Loudoun Crime Commission, Sheriff Mike Chapman reported 36 body cameras are already in use.
Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco said half the town’s force has cameras so far, with the hope of equipping all officers by the end of the month, the Loudoun Times-Mirror reports. Purcellville has some cameras, too.
Leesburg Police Chief Joseph Price says his agency has had in-car cameras for about seven years.
“We are now looking at an integrated system between the car cameras and body cameras so all of our officers will have cameras to show their interactions with the citizens,” said Price.
“I can tell you our history is 99.4 percent of the time, when there has been video of the officer contact with citizens, it shows that officer acting responsibly, professionally.”
