Hanover's drunk raccoon is now funding body cameras

Driving the news: Hanover supervisors unanimously approved the body camera policy last week, joining Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield, which already use them for animal control.

• About $39,000 of the five-year program will be covered by donations from the drunk raccoon merch, which had raised over $257,000 for Hanover's animal shelter as of Tuesday.

How it works: Officers will be required to activate cameras before arriving at animal-related calls involving the public and generally record the entire incident, per county documents.

• Residents can decline recording inside their homes unless officers are conducting an investigation, arrest or search.
• Officers can also stop recording if they believe no critical information will be lost or a supervisor directs them to stop.
• Routine footage will be deleted after 30 days, while recordings used as evidence could be kept for decades.

The other side: While dozens of public comments supported the policy, some residents have questioned whether the money would be better spent improving shelter conditions.

What we're watching: When the officers will begin wearing the cameras, which the county has yet to announce.

The bottom line: "I don't know when we've owed a debt of gratitude to any animal as much as we do to that raccoon," Hanover supervisor Faye Prichard said.