Do City Of Fairfax Police Wear Body Cameras? | Robinson Law, PLLC

 Posted on June 07, 2024 in Criminal Defense

Police officers are in a position to help stand up for people’s rights or to violate them, depending on the circumstances. Although people generally expect that police officers should follow the law and treat them with dignity, sometimes police officers abuse their position of authority and mistreat members of the public.

Defendants facing criminal charges sometimes raise claims about police misconduct in response to their pending criminal charges. For example, proving that an officer conducted an illegal search could lead to the courts setting aside certain evidence. Claims about police officer misconduct can be difficult to prove, as an officer might deny their actions. Video footage could potentially help prove a defendant’s version of events.

Do police officers working in Fairfax, Virginia generally need to have body cameras recording their interactions with the public?

Fairfax has rules about police cameras

Concerns about police officers abusing their authority and mistreating certain members of the public are nothing new. They have simply become more widespread thanks to the sharing of video footage and disturbing stories on the internet.

Many municipalities, including Fairfax, have implemented policies in response to public concern. The city does currently have a policy requiring body-worn cameras (BWCs). Every officer should have a BWC, as well as cameras in their vehicles recording their activity on the road.

Any time an officer responds to a call where they have to interact with members of the public, they need to activate their BWC to capture video footage of their actions. Officers who fail to turn on their BWCs or who clearly turn them off during an interaction with a member of the public may have violated best practices. Their decision to stop recording could also indicate awareness that they might soon engage in misconduct.

A lack of proper video footage recorded by a police officer could potentially play a role in someone’s criminal defense strategy. In more serious cases, it may even be possible to use a lack of video recording as part of a lawsuit brought in response to police misconduct. Learning about local rules for police behavior can benefit those facing pending criminal charges. Fairfax has rules that can help limit police misconduct and unfair prosecution.