As I wrote when this silliness started, these cops are too arrogant and out of control to let this go past anything but a PR show when the media was watching

  

Police Body Camera Pilot Program Set To End In Reston District

Researchers are surveying local residents and officers on what they thought of body cameras worn by Fairfax County police.

By Chris Gaudet, Patch Staff

RESTON, VA — A pilot program to test body cameras on Fairfax County police officers ended Friday in the Reston, Mason and Mount Vernon police districts. Officers began wearing the body cameras and undergoing training in mid-February. The program was fully implemented by mid-March.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the 90-day pilot in November, and it was extended to 180 days to better assess its impact. A total of 203 body-worn cameras was distributed to officers in the Reston, Mount Vernon and Mason districts, as well as to Motor Squad officers and Animal Protection officers. Not all officers wore body cameras, and school resource officers did not participate.

The three police districts were selected for the program because of their communities' diversity, the various types of calls for service and incidents resulting in the use of force, the Police Department said.

Under the program, officers wearing body cameras recorded any call for service, law enforcement action, subject stop, traffic stop, search or police service. Officers did not record in certain situations or places like courthouses and medical facilities.

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American University researchers are studying how the program worked. This includes surveying residents and officers on their perceptions of the body cameras. A full analysis could be released early next year.

Like in-car videos, the body camera program is designed to give Fairfax County police a chance to build trust with the community and bolster accountability. Depending on how the pilot works out, the Board of Supervisors could consider a permanent body camera program.