Body worn cameras must be properly funded
Any trial or introduction of body worn cameras must be accompanied by sufficient funding, Police Association President
Greg O’Connor said today.
“As we have seen with the introduction of video recording of police interviews, and Taser cameras, video evidence almost
invariably backs up the police version of events and disproves wild allegations made by the defendant,” Mr O’Connor
said.
“However, body worn cameras are expensive. Storing and processing the massive amounts of data generated is extremely
expensive. Processes to maintain the integrity of the chain of evidence from camera to court are also time consuming and
expensive. And more time means hiring more people to undertake the tasks.
“The Police Association has always welcomed the introduction of new technology. However, this is not just a case of
spending $1300 per officer to attach the devices to them. Without extra staff and funding, an initiative like this would
have to be paid for by reducing police numbers and activity in other areas – especially in an era of frozen budgets,” Mr
O’Connor said.