According to Parliamentarian Rocco Tjon, there are legal precedents indicating that a legal basis exists for the implementation of ‘Body-worn Cameras’ (BWC).
Since the law regulates body cams, the previous government underwent an extensive process to ensure compliance, involving participation from various police unions and professionals within the police force. The intention of using body cams, the parliamentarian emphasized, is to increase the safety of both police officers and citizens, as well as to capture video evidence during incidents to clarify exactly what happened.
He also highlighted that although body cams can influence the behavior of a citizen who knows they are being filmed by a police officer, this does not necessarily prevent criminal acts or other tragic incidents, such as the case from last week where a citizen tragically lost their life.
In all cases, he emphasized that the use of body cams has been implemented. In a recent meeting in Parliament, the High Commissioner informed that the pilot project had begun in various districts while internal processes were being regulated. This includes how police officers are working with body cams, how the footage is stored, the duration for which the data is retained, and other relevant procedures.
