Police to deploy body-worn cameras from tomorrow

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will start deploying body-worn cameras (BWC) at all 35 Neighbourhood Police Centres (NPCs) to enhance frontline crime fighting capabilities, the SPF announced today (Jan 29).

In the first phase, frontline police officers from Bukit Merah West NPC will don the BWCs from tomorrow. Officers from five other NPCs will don the cameras by June 2015.

These are:

- Ang Mo Kio North NPC, Ang Mo Kio Police Division

- Bedok South NPC, Bedok Police Division

- Bukit Merah East NPC, Central Police Division

- Jurong West NPC, Jurong Police Division

- Toa Payoh NPC, Tanglin Police Division

The deployment of the BWCs will be completed by June 2016, said the SPF.

The cameras can record both video and audio, and will be worn in a visible manner on the front of the officer’s uniform, said SPF. They will be switched on when the officers are performing their duties, and officers will be able to stop recording in certain situations, such as when dealing with victims of sexual offences. During recording, the camera’s LED indicator will blink red, and footage of the recording might be shown on the LED screen.

Strict safeguards and limits have been put in place on the use of the footage, said SPF. For example, footage will be deleted after 31 days from the date of recording, unless it is required for official use such as police investigations.

BODY-WORN CAMERAS WILL ‘COMPLEMENT EXISTING METHODS’

The use of the BWCs will “facilitate police investigations and the gathering of evidence”, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Lau Peet Meng.

“The BWCs will complement existing forensic methods to allow the police to piece together what actually happened at an incident,” added DC Lau. “The body-worn camera is part of the SPF’s technology roadmap to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of policing in Singapore for a safe and secure home for all of us.”

The BWCs to be deployed are currently being trialled by the Hong Kong Police Force and the UK Metropolitan Police Service. Both these police forces have found the cameras useful in deterring crime and in collecting information or evidence, said SPF.

The usage of BWCs was first announced in March 2014. CHANNEL NEWSASIA