All police officers to get bodycams soon, commissioner pledges

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà confirmed that the force was in the final phase of an evaluation process which will see all officers donning a bodycam for their own personal protection as well as for the protection of people they face.

Gafà said the phase involved the testing of the bodycams as part of the procurement process.

“We want bodycams that automatically turn on as soon as the police gun is drawn so we’re testing them. Many police forces around the world saw a drastic decrease in false allegations made against their officers once bodycams were introduced. They are important for police accountability but the footage can also turn out useful for court proceedings too,” he said.

[attach id=907302 type="video"]Video: New police commissioner Gafà on bodycams. Video: Mark Zammit Cordina [/attach]

The bodycams will be given to officers before they go out on patrol and returned at the end of every shift.

As soon as it is docked, the footage will be automatically downloaded and officers must then ensure that certain footage is retained if it is to be used as evidence in any criminal proceedings. The bodycams are sealed and their footage cannot be tampered with.

See what Gafà had...