Chief seeks body cams for Albemarle Police

Another Virginia county is moving toward putting body cameras on officers-- but not without guidelines to protect the rights of citizens and the police.

Albemarle Police want to outfit officers with body cams, a project that here, like so much of the nation, gained traction after shootings of unarmed citizens including last year's events in Ferguson, Missouri. "I think we are going to push go. I'm pretty certain of that." That's Chief Steve Sellers, who began providing the cameras to his foot-patrol officers three and a half years ago. He says the resulting images protect police and citizens from abuse. However, former Sheriff Terry Hawkins, attending a Tuesday night panel discussion, wants to ensure that detectives won't be required to keep cameras rolling when obtaining information from secret sources. 33"They'll tell you confidentially, but if you record it in any way, shape or form, then their lives are in jeopardy." Last year, Albemarle saw just 19 uses of force out of 56,000 interactions with the public, according to the chief. For WCVE News, Hawes Spencer in Albemarle. #