Five Virginia police departments have been awarded almost $497,000 for police officer body cameras as their use by law enforcement continues to grow.
Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, announced Tuesday the grants by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Charlottesville, though moving to implement body cameras, did not apply for the grant, said Lt. Steve Upman. The city will fund the camera purchases itself.
The goal of the body cameras is to foster trust and transparency between officers and community members, Warner said in a press release.
“Body cameras are a big step forward in efforts to better protect public safety officers and the citizens they serve," Warner said.
The grants will go to the Newport News Sheriff's Office ($210,000), Lynchburg ($205,000), Waynesboro ($36,000), Fairfax ($29,000), and Dinwiddie ($16,000).
Applicants for the grants are evaluated based on their “innovation, evidence-based strategies and collaboration,” the bureau said.
The University Police Department has also implemented body cameras. The department is now about halfway through implementing its 150 cameras, Captain Melissa Fielding said.
All sworn UPD officers are already wearing the body cameras, and the department is in the process of implementing them for their security officers as well.
Both Fielding and Upman said the body cameras are a worthwhile investment.
“It’ll be another way in which those interactions can be documented so that we can go back and look at them,” Upman said.
Fielding said body cameras encourage officer accountability and professionalism.
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