In Australia, most states have implemented personal body cameras in their law enforcement operations. You will see a police officer on patrol or traffic with a gadget either placed on their collar, cap, or chest region. Some people still do not function with those gadgets, yet they are open.

So why would law enforcers walk around with these gadgets called body cameras? You are about to find out the use of body cameras in this article. So next time you spot a police officer with an “eye-like” gadget around their body, just know that you may be captured on their camera if it is turned on.

Why do police officers need body cameras?

  • Less public complaints of misconduct

After the introduction of personal body cameras in Australia, the country witnessed a rapid decline in the number of complaints from the public, why? Because the residents know that all their actions are being recorded on the camera and there is no room to give false accusations against the officers. Moreover, the police officers are also wary that their actions are being recorded on the cam and they stay on their best behaviour during the entire patrol without harassing civilians.

  • Proper evidence collection

The law enforcers often bump into scenes that may require them to collect evidence while at the same time saving the situation. It becomes difficult for the officer to focus on both actions. Body cameras can help an officer in evidence collection as they focus on remedying the situation. Evidence recorded on the body camera is far more accurate and precise, unlike the one, the officer notes down.

  • Improved police tactics

As the officers walk around the streets with these cameras, the cameras capture crucial data of those places and store them. Later on, the analysis team goes through the videos while evaluating the patterns and behaviours of individuals in the streets. Such data help them in identifying areas that need improvements. Also, it allows them to change their tactics to cope up with the prevailing circumstances.

  • Saves time

The body cameras save the officer’s time by capturing all the evidence in digital format. This way, the officer does not need to walk around with a notebook and pen while collecting evidence. This means that the officer will cover a large area in a short time. The only task that the officer will do in evidence collection is to place name tags or brief metadata on each video that was recorded.

There are many other reasons like the ones above which justify the use of police personal body cameras in their lines of duty. It would be better if the whole world adopts this kind of technology to help in reducing criminal activities.

Factors to watch while using body cameras

The following are some of the crucial factors that need to be observed when implementing the use of police personal body cameras:

Privacy protection act – The law should be put in place to safeguard the privacy of the members of the public who will appear on the recordings.

When to turn on the cameras – The officers should also be trained on when to turn on their cameras to avoid interfering with the privacy of civilians, not every incident is worth recording because it may cause someone their lives or even financial loss.

Remember to only buy from Australias leading supplier of body cams.