Body cameras for NSW police for more transparent work

New South Wales police will now be able to capture their interaction with others and record visual evidence with the help of body cameras. On Thursday, the first batch of frontline officers fitted the cameras to their uniform as part of a rollout to transport and city police.

The encrypted video can be recorded and saved or streamed live to remote command posts. The cameras will work only after the police manually press the record button whenever they intend to record something.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Steve Cullen said that the camera being attached to the front of a police officer will be recording videos from their point of view.

"While the cameras will be constantly viewing the officer's point of view, the officer must initiate recording to actually capture footage in the memory of the camera," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Cullen as saying. "There will be a 30-second back capture of vision only, which can allow for the visual recording of an important piece of evidence."

The footage on the camera will be erased automatically after it is downloaded on the police database. It will not only help the police in gathering evidence but also analyse the offender’s behaviour, allow more time on patrol and less time on paperwork etc.

Deputy Premier and Police Minister Troy Grant said that the cameras will do the work of a note pad and will be particularly useful for cases of domestic violence, since in such cases the victims are usually reluctant to provide evidence.

Andrew Scipione, the NSW Police Commissioner said that the cameras would not only be useful in gathering evidence for supporting prosecution but the footage can later be used for training and education purposes.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, and if you're recorded doing the wrong thing -- no matter who you are -- the evidence will be tough to dispute," the commissioner said.

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