The Albemarle County Police Department announced today that it is launching a body worn camera program.
A total of 112 body worn cameras will be implemented over the course of the next several months and will include officers assigned to the patrol division, traffic unit, and K9 unit, and as well as 5 standalone units that can be loaned as needed for specialty units. The cameras integrate with the existing in-car cameras to provide another vantage during officer interactions. The cameras will record any police action that an officer takes, including arrests, traffic stops, searches, detentions, interviews, and interrogations.
“The body worn camera program provides another tool for our officers in the field and to the community we serve to ensure we are meeting our mission, to provide for the safety and security of all people, while protecting individual rights and building trust in our diverse communities through quality service,” Chief Ron Lantz said.
Implementation will be phased, beginning in August, with deployment to officers assigned to the evening patrol shift, with full implementation targeted by Jan. 1, 2022. With the funding appropriation in place, the new cameras will be ordered and installed this summer. Officers will undergo training beginning this summer.
The total body worn camera program cost is $115,581. A grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services totaling $50,000 is supplementing $65,581 from ACPD’s Seized Assets Fund.
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