VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act

VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act

This bill updates the staffing and responsibilities of police forces of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure that each of its police forces designates an employee to serve as a point of contact for its employees and the public regarding (1) statistical information (e.g., the use of force and weapons discharge), (2) complaints and investigations regarding officers at the facility, and (3) the provision of information to a person regarding personal arrest or other police matters.

The bill also requires the VA to provide information on the public websites of police facilities regarding specified statistical information and directions on how to contact the point of contact or receive information about specific matters.

The VA must provide annual training on (1) recognizing, defining, understanding, and avoiding racial profiling and implicit bias and best practices regarding the duty to intervene; and (2) preventing suicide among the population served by police officers.

Finally, the bill requires VA police officers to wear body cameras that have a field of view at least as broad as the officers' vision and capture footage of the officers' activities. The audio and video of the camera must be activated whenever an officer is responding to a call for service or other stop, except in situations where it is impossible or dangerous for the officer to do so. The VA's guidance on body cameras must be made publicly available.