Deputies inside the Arlington County jail have started wearing body cameras, a move touted as “a significant step forward in enhancing safety, transparency, and accountability.”
The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office announced the rollout today (Tuesday), saying Axon-brand cameras have been issued to deputies across several operational areas of the jail. ACSO previously used body-worn cameras only in civil process work and inmate transportation.
A local nonprofit working to help those facing the impacts of incarceration used a recent gathering to recommit to its advocacy and supportive services.
OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church held its 17th annual Liberation Gathering yesterday (Thursday), providing both an update on activities and a call for future efforts.
The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office took over operational control of medical care at the Arlington County Detention Facility this week, fulfilling a longstanding goal.
Sheriff Jose Quiroz has long advocated for shifting to an in-house medical model at the jail that saw several in-custody deaths under a former provider. Under the change, which went into effect yesterday (Monday), medical staff will report directly to Chief Medical Director Dr. Richard Malish, whom the sheriff appointed to a newly created position this spring.
A new program at the Arlington County jail is attempting to bridge divides between people in custody and the general public.
An event hosted through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice last week was the first of its kind in Virginia, attempting to give community members a glimpse of “the common humanity of incarcerated people” at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
A ceremony honoring fallen officers and a 5K race are coming to Arlington in coming days in honor of National Police Week.
The annual celebration of law enforcement officers, which often brings motorcades and busy hotels, is next week.
Arlington County’s sheriff is seeking better pay for his deputies, citing demanding working conditions at the jail despite some progress toward better safety.
With dozens of off-duty deputies in the audience at a recent budget meeting, Sheriff Jose Quiroz argued that his employees deserve salary increases closer to those proposed for other public safety workers.
Arlington County Board members approved higher fees for access to county-operated electric-vehicle charging stations this past Saturday (Dec. 14), among other actions.
“We’re not trying to make big bucks. We’re just trying to meet our costs,” Board chair Libby Garvey said after the vote to raise the base fee from the current 14.52 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 17.46 cents.
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer says he does not, at present, desire to see a federal investigation into conditions at the Arlington County Detention Facility.
But speaking at a Monday (Oct. 21) candidate forum hosted by the Arlington NAACP, Beyer (D-Va.) did seek more interaction between local officials and their federal counterparts on the issue.
The Arlington County Board has announced plans to dismiss all current members of the Human Rights Commission.
Following months of mounting tension, the County Board plans to revise the commission’s charter and clarify members’ duties. Commissioners who wish to stay would have to reapply for the role “with an explicit understanding of the HRC’s clarified duties and responsibilities,” Board Chair Libby Garvey said in an email yesterday (Thursday).
Inmates at the Arlington County Detention Facility picked up their paddles once again to compete in a pickleball tournament this week — and this time they had some additional friends.
The Pickleball Friends of Arlington joined the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Parks and Recreation to host a sequel to last November’s jail pickleball tournament. The two-day competition started on Tuesday and ended yesterday with players on two winning teams receiving a $10 credit for their commissary accounts.
The county jail is partnering with a reproductive nonprofit to provide pregnant inmates with maternal support and training.
The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office announced a partnership with the Richmond-based organization, Birth in Color, to provide pregnant people in custody with birthing support while training other inmates to become community-based birthing coaches or doulas.
The Arlington County Board and the Human Rights Commission are at odds over whether commissioners had the right to request an investigation into possible human and civil rights violations at the county jail.
Earlier this month, the commission sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, voicing concerns over reports that inmates at the jail lack adequate healthcare, a situation they argue could put them “at risk of death and severe harm.” This follows up on letters to the County Sheriff’s Office and the DOJ from the Arlington branch of the NAACP and its national organization, asking for an investigation after hearing from former and current inmates.
