PETALING JAYA: Body-worn cameras (BWCs) mounted on the shoulders of police officers are being used to assist in recording evidence of who, what, where, when, why, and how a crime was committed.

The cameras which are currently going through a trial run in Hong Kong, UK, and Singapore record both audio and video clips that can assist police in gathering critical evidence used in investigations.

Given their size, convenience and ease of use, the BWCs are a welcome alternative to the hand-held video recording devices used by Hong Kong Police (HKP) since 2006.

“The BWCs will complement existing forensic methods to allow the police to piece together what actually happened at an incident,” explained Lau Peet Meng, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the HKP and UK Metropolitan Police Service have found the BWCs effective in reducing crime rate as the cameras serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.

Both police forces also expected the BWCs to instill a higher degree of transparency and accountability among the police in handling confrontational scenarios.

The BWCs have also helped in reducing the number of complaints against police officers, increasing the public’s confidence in their policing actions.

To ensure the videos are not abused, all camera footage not required for investigative purposes are deleted after 31 days from the date of recording, to comply with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

So, not to worry as the classified videos will only be used for investigative purposes, and not to be posted on YouTube.

Resource: Free Malaysia Today