Vancouver Police officer on patrol in the downtown east side in Vancouver, BC., November 9, 2013. The VPD is considering a pilot program that will have officers wearing cameras while on duty.
Photograph by: Nick Procaylo , PNG
Vancouver police officers could begin wearing cameras on their bodies next year as part of a pilot project, as more law enforcement agencies across North America outfit cops with miniature cameras to record interactions with the public.
The compact video systems, about the size of a smartphone, are worn on the front of an officer’s uniform. They are already being used in several cities in the U.S., including Los Angeles, New Orleans and Cincinnati.
In Canada, they’re being tested in Edmonton, where police officers are in the midst of a federally funded pilot project. The Victoria Police Department has also completed a similar study.
Some critics have raised privacy concerns, while others are worried that police will have discretion to turn them on and off at will, and say they must be mandated to have the cameras on at all times.
Police agencies approve of the devices because they have been shown to protect officers from allegations of misconduct, reduce the use of force and serve as evidence in court.
The compact video systems, about the size of a smartphone, are worn on the front of an officer’s uniform. They are already being used in several cities in the U.S., including Los Angeles, New Orleans and Cincinnati.
In Canada, they’re being tested in Edmonton, where police officers are in the midst of a federally funded pilot project. The Victoria Police Department has also completed a similar study.
Some critics have raised privacy concerns, while others are worried that police will have discretion to turn them on and off at will, and say they must be mandated to have the cameras on at all times.
Police agencies approve of the devices because they have been shown to protect officers from allegations of misconduct, reduce the use of force and serve as evidence in court.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Cops+with+cameras+mulls+pilot+study+body+worn+video+officers/9148116/story.html#ixzz2kSQfNuxT
No comments:
Post a Comment