Anne Arundel County, Maryland, has launched its police body camera program with 143 officers now trained and equipped to use them.
The phased plan is for about 775 sworn officers in the department, from the police chief to patrol officers, to be trained to use the cameras. Each officer will be assigned two cameras so one can always be charged and ready for duty.
“All of them will be out there with cameras by September. The training is ongoing in small groups, and the numbers will be increasing every week,” County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a Tuesday news briefing.
Pittman said he entered office thinking body cameras would be “a positive thing,” but there was a lot of resistance.
“That resistance has completely disappeared,” he said. “I think there’s pretty unanimous support for this, and I’m glad to see Anne Arundel County is one of the leaders in the state on that.”
By July 2025, all law enforcement agencies in Maryland are required to have body worn camera programs.
Anne Arundel County’s fiscal year 2021 budget allocated $1.1 million to get the program underway.
“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,” Police Chief Amal Awad said on the county’s website. “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.”
Residents who have questions or feedback about the program can submit their concerns through the county government’s website.