By Fraley Williams
The Lexington Police Department is in the process of getting body worn cameras for its officers.
Police Chief Angela Greene said she hopes this will increase trust and transparency with the community.
The estimated cost for the cameras is just under $200,000. The department hopes to receive state funding to cover most of the cost.
In a city council work session in April, Greene said getting the cameras will be contingent on the state grant.
“We have not heard about the federal grant that we applied for,” she said. “To date we have not been denied any state grant. We are hoping to continue with that.”
Nationally, there has been a push for body-worn cameras since the brutal killing of George Floyd in 2020. Many of Virginia’s law enforcement agencies already have the cameras. Others say they can’t afford them.
Greene said the department is always looking at what is happening nationally and adapting policies accordingly.
“We’re trying to build what I would call our trust account with the community to make sure that the community knows what we do as a police department,” she said.