Stacy Shaw
AXON body officer camera. Photo Courtesy of TASER.
Body cameras or dash cams for police may become a reality in Prince William County. Following incidents of alleged police misconduct leading to the deaths of individuals in Ferguson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York, Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland asked county staff to research adding dash cameras to vehicles on the Prince William County Police Force, and/or body cameras for police officers. "We've seen around the country where this has become a possible solution [in cases where we see these issues]," Candland said. Dash cameras are video cameras mounted on the dashboards of motor vehicles. They cost between $38 and $300, when sold individually for civilians, depending upon their quality and features. According to
KOIN.com, police body cameras run between $150 and $1000 per unit. Additionally, cost is another big factor for departments when it comes to storing data. Candland said the county looked into providing police cameras a few years back, but it was not approved at that time. Now, with what is going on in the national news, Candland believes it is an appropriate time to revisit the issue. He does not just want cameras to hold police accountable, but believes it is a way to protect citizens and protect police officers. He clarified that this suggestion it is not a criticism of the Prince William Police Department, rather he praised them for serving the community. "I believe we have one of the best police departments in the country. They're professional; they care about the people they serve, and I want to hear from them," Candland said. He acknowledged police cameras may be expensive, but said, "I think it's worth having the discussion." Police Chief Stephen Hudson said his police department had been looking into these options even before Supervisor Candland proposed the county do so. “In reference to Supervisor Candland’s question, the discussion involved the implementation and use of body worn cameras and/or dash cams. The police department has been studying both options, and more specifically, the possibility of body worn cameras for the last year. We are planning to report our findings and recommendation to the Board at an upcoming Board of County Supervisor meeting.” Prince William County may even receive U.S. Federal dollars to help fund this initiative since President Obama announced Dec. 1 that he would
request $263 million from Congress to fund police body cameras. The President would also like the Federal Government to match state funding by half. Following his request, Candland solicited feedback from his constituents via social media on his
Supervisor Pete Candland Facebook page. Their responses were mixed. Some citizens said they had no particular criticism of the Prince William Police, but said there is always the possibility of an incident occurring in which it would be beneficial to have a record of the event. Other citizens offered that body cameras would be more effective than dash cams in recording police and criminal activity because it would capture more than just the action occurring directly in front of the police vehicle. One citizen felt that cameras “are a step in the right direction,” but she also requested a citizen review board to police or oversee the police. However, the plan did face criticism as well, mainly because some people thought it would be too expensive or would not be the best use of county funds. Jen Ehrhardt agreed with those commenters on Candland's Facebook page. “As the wife of a PWC Police officer who has gotten very little raise over the last 5 years, I say this is a gross waste of money. Our county can't give raises to police and teachers, we can't build enough schools to properly house our children.... yet we want to spend money to put dash cameras in police cars?!” The county has not yet completed its research into the initiative. The issue will be discussed by county staff and supervisors at the Dec. 16 Prince William County Board of Supervisors Meeting on Dec. 16.
