In April 2023, the Alexandria Police Department began the implementation of a body-worn camera program. This course will discuss the logistics of the program within the police department, to include an overview and demonstration of the technology. The sergeants in charge of the program will detail the training that each officer receives when issued a body-worn camera, as well as the internal policy and directives that the officers must follow. The course will also cover the process of obtaining footage in discovery in criminal cases, the law pertaining to the use of the videos during criminal cases, and the logistics for displaying the evidence during trial within the Alexandria courthouse.

Jessica Best Smith
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney
Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney's Office

Jessica Smith serves as a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Alexandria and has been employed as a prosecutor in that office since 2009. Jessica presently supervises the Property Crimes Unit and is responsible for the implementation of the Body-Worn Camera program within the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, as well as the prosecution of designated major crimes. She previously supervised the Violent Crimes Unit and has been responsible for a variety of crimes, to include the prosecution of homicides, felony assaults, sex offenses against both adults and children, assaults on police, domestic violence offenses, and traffic cases.  

Jessica regularly participates in moot court exercises at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy to train the recruit officers how to testify in a criminal case. She has also participated in several moot court qualification hearings with the Forensic Science Law Unit at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, acting as a prosecutor or defense attorney in hearings involving complex scientific testimony. Jessica has also trained members of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team as part of their Advanced Moot Court course. After successfully prosecuting the first genetic genealogy case in Virginia, Jessica has conducted national and statewide training on the use of the technology in criminal investigations.

Jessica graduated with a B.Phil. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University in 2006. She began working for the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney as a law clerk in 2008 and obtained her J.D. from George Mason University in 2009. Her husband is a detective in Alexandria, and she spends her time outside the office chauffeuring their two children to various sporting events and hiking with a moderately feral bloodhound.

Sergeant John P. Jones
Alexandria Police Department



Sergeant J.P. Jones is the Body Worn Camera Coordinator. He has been a law enforcement officer with the City of Alexandria Police Department for 13 years. Prior to his current role, in addition to patrol sergeant, he served as a supervisor in the Criminal investigations Unit over the Intelligence Unit, Property Crimes Unit, and Financial Crimes Unit. Prior to his promotion, he was a detective for Crimes Against Persons, specifically Child Sex Crimes and Adult Sex Crimes. He is a Virginia DFS Certified General Instructor, a certified Child Forensic Interviewer, and has been trained in Forensic Experiential Trauma Interviewing (FETI). He has completed the FBI-LEEDA Supervisor and Executive Institute trainings and will graduate from the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Program in Fall 2023. Sergeant Jones is also a senior negotiator with the Hostage Negotiations Team. 

Sergeant Dan Schultz
Alexandria Police Department

Dan Schultz is a Sergeant with the Alexandria Police Department, with over 25 years of public service with AFD and APD, including 10 years supervisory experience. His career has spanned a wide range of responsibilities, including administration, training, patrol and community-based policing. Within these roles, he has collaborated internally with other divisions and externally with vendors, representatives of other City agencies, elected officials, and community groups. Sergeant Schultz has specialized training in crash reconstruction, crisis intervention, and problem-based learning, and he is certified as a General Instructor. Sergeant Schultz is the lead instructor for the Civil Disturbance Unit and Body Worn Camera Unit.