There are growing calls for change across the Commonwealth after body camera video showed a traffic stop that ended with a Black and Latino Army officer getting pepper-sprayed.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Police reform will take center stage in Virginia during next week’s special session. With all eyes on police reform, those who enforce the laws are speaking up, hoping those who make the laws will listen. The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP) is taking a stance on nearly 40 measures up for debate. Hall said there’s always room for improvement, but not being realistic could threaten the safety of our communities and our officers. “I think it would make Virginia a more dangerous place,” Hall said.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Ahead of a special Virginia General Assembly session in August on police reform, the first of three joint House committee meetings were held Wednesday. During the Joint Meeting of Courts of Justice and Public Safety Committees on Wednesday morning, lawmakers pushed for transparency and accountability when it comes to citizen complaints and misconduct investigations. Law enforcement talked about the importance of accreditation, training and body-worn cameras. As lawmakers put lead law enforcement officials in the hot seat looking to make change, Hall said that those changes have to be specific and actionable. “I think we have to be very careful in trying to understand what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Hall.

LYNCHBURG, Va. The protests in Lynchburg have simmered down, but work is still happening behind the scenes. Hobson spoke Thursday on behalf of a newly formed group called Alliance for Police Reform. Its made up of several Lynchburg pastors, citizens and community-based organizations that want to see improvements made within Lynchburgs police department. Location: College Hill Center, 811 Jackson StreetCommunity Listening Session #5Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2020Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Location: Jubilee Center, 1512 Florida AvenueCommunity Listening Session #6Date: Thursday, August 6, 2020Time: 6 to 8 p.m.

(AP Photo/Hans Pennink)ALBANY, N.Y. ALBANY, N.Y.As protesters of police brutality demand accountability, New York lawmakers are poised to overhaul a decades-old law that has kept officers disciplinary records secret. But over the years, the law has draped a veil over most records of police misconduct, including allegations. Formal complaints about excessive force by officers are not public in New York. Only New York and Delaware have state laws that provide law enforcement with special carve outs from records disclosure, according to a statement from advocacy groups including Common Cause New York and the New York Public Interest Research Group. ___Associated Press writers Jim Mustian in New York and Michael R. Sisak on Long Island contributed to this report.