Previous Release February 19, 2021:
The Anne Arundel County Police Department announced today that its body-worn camera (BWC) program is on track for implementation between July and September 2021. Funding for the body-worn camera program was included in the FY2021 budget. Following county procurement protocols, the police department selected the Axon Body 3 model camera. The goals of the body-worn camera program are to:
- strengthen police accountability
- promote de-escalation
- enhance the ability to resolve officer-involved incidents and complaints
- improve transparency
- identify and correct internal agency issues
- strengthen officer performance and safety
- increase community safety
All sworn members of the agency will be issued two body-worn cameras to ensure they always have a charged device for their shift. The department will acquire approximately 50 additional devices which will be available as spares, if necessary.
The first deployment of body-worn cameras is expected in the second half of the calendar year 2021. The program will be rolled out in phases, with approximately 100 officers being trained and outfitted initially. The officers will receive training on how the cameras operate and function. As camera usage begins, the agency will be able to address any unforeseen issues during the first several weeks of deployment. The remainder of the officers will be trained over the following two to three months.
“We would like to thank the Office of the County Executive and the County Council for their support for our body-worn camera program. We look forward to the implementation of the program in the coming months, which will enhance the trust and relationship between our community and our officers. Our program will also allow us to continue our commitment to transparency, and lead us to the highest level of accountability to the community we serve.” – Amal E. Awad, Chief of Police
The agency, in coordination with the Anne Arundel County Executive’s Office, will participate in community engagement efforts to provide information on the program and help answer any questions.
UPDATE September 17, 2021:
As of September 16, 2021, every active-duty sworn member of the police department has received and been trained on their Body Worn Cameras.
From July 6th, 2021 through September 15th, 2021, officers have recorded 54,969 videos; totaling 12,539 hours of video, using 21,854 Gigabytes (21.854 Terabytes) of data storage.
35,168 recordings were made during regular calls for service
14,008 recordings were made during traffic stops
4,118 recordings were made at vehicle crash/accident scenes
315 recordings were made during miscellaneous citizen contacts
The remaining videos were primarily made as a result of training, testing, and accidental activations not related to interactions with members of the community.
Any questions regarding our BWC policy can be found here: https://www.aacounty.org/departments/police-department/rules-and-regulations/index.html (IC 1904.4)
To request a copy of a BWC video click here:
General Information on the BWC program: