Jacob: Police to acquire, use 2,000 body cams soon

Acting Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob said soon the police will be outfitted with almost 2000 body cameras.

At a joint select committee meeting on the performance of the police service on Wednesday, Jacob said plans to outfit officers and police cars with cameras were still on the front burner to assist with their crime-fighting efforts.

He said, “It is very crucial for developing evidence for investigation and also to exonerate persons when allegations are made. At the service we have 160 functional body cameras which are divided among 15 different units, meaning to say every task force among each unit is given a certain amount of body cameras. When it's divided it’s a small number of cameras in each division.

“This is just a drop in the ocean. However recently we acquired 750 additional body cameras and we are in the process of doing distribution especially to the front-line officers. And there are intentions to acquire another 1,200 within the next few months.

He said police cars with dash cameras have been significantly assisting the service while it focuses organising sourcing and distributing the body cameras.

“With these outfitted vehicles, when something is happening and our camera picks it up, it will be beamed to our operational centres and it will be recorded where the operational centres could guide what is taking place.”

Jacob said there are also additional plans to procure and install more dash cameras in police cars.

“We recognise the importance of it in these contemporary times. It’s totally necessary and a lot of allegations that are made in relation to police and their investigating and searches can be eliminated by the use of these body cameras. I am going full-throttle to ensure all front-line officers are assisted with body cameras.

A department has already been set up to monitor the use of these devices when they are active.

He said, “That department governs it so if that person (police officer) does particular things to it, it will be an offence that can be charged before a tribunal. This includes if these cameras aren’t used at the right time. All of that is in place now (is that) we are just acquiring the cameras and distribution.”

ASP Ricardo Montrichard of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) welcomed the idea of introducing body cameras to assist with investigations involving their other officers.

At the JSC meeting, he told the committee, “From the bureau's point of view we would certainly welcome body cameras for police officers. It could either exonerate the police officer in terms of an allegation, made against them or it could form part of our evidence to take action against police officers."