Norton and Beyer Issue Statement After Meeting with U.S. Park Police on Body Cameras

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) released the following statement after meeting with U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean and National Park Service (NPS) Acting Director Dan Smith to discuss the bill the Members are drafting to require uniformed federal police officers, including Park Police officers, to wear body cameras and have dashboard cameras in marked vehicles. Acting Director Smith indicated to Norton and Beyer that NPS has set aside $5 million for body camera adoption across NPS.

"We had productive meetings with Chief MacLean and Acting Director Smith. We were encouraged to learn that, like most law enforcement officers, Chief MacLean supports the use of body and dashboard cameras. It is clear that equipping Park Police and other federal law enforcement officers with cameras can help establish trust and transparency, helping police and the public alike. Along with local law enforcement, Park Police have local policing power in the District of Columbia and parts of Northern Virginia, and their camera policies should at least keep pace with the policies adopted by local law enforcement. We will continue to work with Chief MacLean and other law enforcement experts to ensure our camera legislation meets the needs of their department."