Why don't our police use body cams.

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JaseNZ

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#284372 16-Apr-2021 18:41

Serious question on why don't our police use body cams.

Have they ever been trialled here ??.

I would have thought it would have been a good protection from both sides.

Do the Aussies use them at all in some or all states ??

I would have just thought it seems stupid not to have them.

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#2693940 16-Apr-2021 19:11

I imagine the obvious answer is cost. Though I really dont know.

I think the tasers have a camera that is activated when the taser is armed.

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KiwiSurfer

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#2693942 16-Apr-2021 19:19

I've seen them in use here in NZ by various agencies but not sure if I've seen the police use them. Auckland Transport uses body cams for public transport enforcement officers. Can't recall exactly which others but I have certainly seen them around. Parking officers maybe?

gzt

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#2693944 16-Apr-2021 19:29

Different scenario in the case of parking wardens bodycams will be intended to deter abuse and assault by entitled idiots.

JaseNZ

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#2693945 16-Apr-2021 19:30

Yeah I have seen them on the parking enforcement here in chch.

I would have thought cost would have been moot when it comes to overall safety.

I have seen the governments invest billions of dollars over the years in the most stupid of stuff I would doubt a few million would be even a blip to roll out a proper system.

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gzt

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#2693957 16-Apr-2021 20:30

According to this - the Police Association supports it:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112448221/new-zealand-police-halt-review-into-adopting-body-cameras

Geektastic

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#2694009 16-Apr-2021 21:30

Even Bailiffs use them in the UK. There was a great TV series "Can't Pay, Won't Pay" which followed Court Bailiffs around as they went repossessing things that I saw last time I visited my mother and I noticed they were wearing body cams then. Probably so they can provide evidence that they have complied with the law and/or in case they are assaulted, which is probably common in that job.

No idea why the police do not use them - if I were in the police I would be all for it given some of the things that come their way.

tukapa1

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#2694056 17-Apr-2021 06:50

The Police don't use them here (yet) because they are concerned about privacy issues.

Geektastic

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#2694072 17-Apr-2021 08:54

tukapa1:
The Police don't use them here (yet) because they are concerned about privacy issues.

Why? I would have thought there are more important concerns than a few people moaning about getting caught on camera, footage of which is easily deleted if need be. No worse than cctv in public places out in shops.

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#2694075 17-Apr-2021 08:59

tukapa1:

The Police don't use them here (yet) because they are concerned about privacy issues.

If you have done nothing wrong where is the privacy issues. If you have done something wrong then this is another evidence gathering tool. It also protects both sides in the "I said" - "They said" debate.

Mind you I would rather the money be spent on: Redlight cams, Traffic cams & Phone usage cams in vehicles.

Also up the fines (including border infringements - food, cig's etc) that would go along way to help pay for more tech in the field.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

PolicyGuy

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#2694081 17-Apr-2021 10:14

I understand that in some UK areas that introduced Police bodycams, the "I plead guilty" rate in minor to medium offences went up very sharply once the bodycams came into use. Once there is is video covering the entire period of interaction, questions of whether a person was or wasn't 'drunk and disorderly' or 'resisting arrest' or whatever tend to become unarguable and the lawyer will tell the person to shut up and take the punishment, as going to a defended hearing will only make things much worse on the inevitable conviction.

Also, any tendency of police officers to behave badly is very sharply curtailed by the knowledge that they are very very likely to be caught.

The NZ Police really ought to have bodycams on all front-line officers

afe66

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#2694152 17-Apr-2021 13:04

The article didn't say any concerns of privacy it was cost.

neb

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#2694260 17-Apr-2021 17:00

tukapa1:
The Police don't use them here (yet) because they are concerned about privacy issues.

I think another factor would be that our police aren't a bunch of trigger-happy cowboys like many US cops and so there's less need for CYA measures like body cams.

cruxis

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#2694269 17-Apr-2021 17:50

Recording in public is fine, But the police can enter private areas belonging to innocent people, eg cop jumping a fence into a backyard chasing a crim. Recording of areas where there is expectaion of privacy breaches the privacy act.

Kyanar

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#2694280 17-Apr-2021 19:29

JaseNZ:

Serious question on why don't our police use body cams.

Have they ever been trialled here ??.

I would have thought it would have been a good protection from both sides.

Do the Aussies use them at all in some or all states ??

I would have just thought it seems stupid not to have them.

Australian states all use body cameras. Not 100% saturation among most police forces yet (detectives and the like don't usually have them)

nzkc:

I imagine the obvious answer is cost. Though I really dont know.

I think the tasers have a camera that is activated when the taser is armed.

Cost is likely the case. It costs roughly $300 AUD to buy one Axon Body 3 camera, and then further cost on top of that for the evidence.com subscription to store recorded video. Axon also produces Tasers (in fact the company used to be called Taser), and yes there is a feature where when a Taser is unholstered, the body camera begins recording. It's definitely not privacy issues - body cameras are typically only turned on when taking a statement or exercising a use of force - the two things which are most likely to result in a complaint or dispute being filed.

scuwp

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#2694328 18-Apr-2021 08:05

They have been trialed in NZ. I think cost and privacy were/are barriers. The Privacy and OIA in NZ creates all kinds of issues as far as collection and storage of any kind of information. Then there are the cyber security concerns. Government departments already dedicate large resources dealing with OIA requests. I could only imagine the Police would be swamped and need to set up an entire new department.

It's not as simple as buying a GoPro and strapping it to your chest.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

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