There are times when police officers are accused of police brutality. Sometimes these claims are real, sometimes they’re not, but over in the UK, a new program is expected to be launched which will see metropolitan police officers start wearing cameras on their uniform which will be used to record evidence and boost transparency.
The trial program will begin by sending out 500 such devices to officers across 10 London boroughs, and officers with firearms are also expected to wear these cameras during their training process as well. The videos captured will be stored on file for a month, unless the footage is required as evidence.
According to met commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, “Our experience of using cameras already shows that people are more likely to plead guilty when they know we have captured the incident. That speeds up justice, puts offenders behind bars more quickly and protects potential victims.”
Sir Bernard also added that this will provide evidence in times when officers are being accused of doing something wrong. Of course the cameras will not be switched on 24/7 and officers are also required to inform the suspect that they are being recorded. Naturally not everyone is a fan of this idea.
According to Jack Hart from The Freedom Association, “To create a situation where both police officers and the public feel constantly under suspicion is not sensible and undermines trust in all sectors of society.” What do you guys think?
[Image credit – ITV]