Bedford County Sheriff’s Office
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. An important tool for law enforcement in the fight against the abuse and exploitation of children is close to being available to Virginia Law Enforcement Agencies. The General Assembly recently passed SB 741 which allows law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia to utilize facial recognition technology. The bill sets forth a series of strict requirements and guidelines to ensure that this technology is used responsibly by members of the law enforcement community. On behalf of our agencies, parents across this Commonwealth and our fellow sisters and brethren in law enforcement, we urge you, Governor Youngkin, to sign this bill into law. It will provide law enforcement with a critical investigative tool, but most importantly, it will help bring children back to their families and put more predators behind bars.
Read letter in full here.