WASHINGTON — The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) has announced the launch of its body-worn camera program, which will train and equip all MTPD officers, sergeants and lieutenants to begin carrying body-worn cameras in the coming months. The body cameras are meant to supplement the 20,000 cameras throughout Metro, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a press release.
Metro plans a staggered rollout for the cameras, starting with a group of approximately two dozen highly trained officers in the MTPD’s Special Response Team (SRT) and Tactical Operations Unit (TOU). These officers will be the first to begin carrying body-worn cameras later this month, Metro said.
Following the initial deployment, body-worn cameras will be put into use at each of the three MTPD districts, with an estimated 315 officers trained and equipped by the end of the summer.
“At Metro, we are committed to the safety and security of our customers, our employees, and our officers. I am confident that the new body-worn camera program will continue to build trust and confidence in the department’s work,” said MTPD Chief Michael Anzallo in a press statement. “The research, data, and feedback we’ve gathered from similar programs in the region have provided us with important insights that will strengthen the rollout of this important safety tool and enhance the overall success of our program.”
A new MTPD policy has been established to ensure recordings, investigations, and retention of records are conducted in accordance with best practices. There are many documented benefits of law enforcement using body-worn cameras, including case studies nationally and internationally, that link body-worn cameras to reductions in crime, police-generated incidents, and assaults on police officers.
The body-worn camera program comes as Metro has dealt with a number of violent incidents over the past months.
On March 16, an MTPD officer shot a man armed with a knife at the Anacostia Metro Station in Southeast D.C., and two days earlier, shots were fired aboard a Green Line train.
Back in February, a Metro employee was killed trying to stop a shooter who had already injured two people.
The MTPD’s Community Services Bureau will begin working to ensure customers are educated and informed around the deployment, protocols, and use of body-worn cameras. Relevant information will be distributed throughout the community by officers, as well as using Metro’s social media channels, website, and customer emails.