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.

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