Body cameras for police

“These include the extent and nature of compliance with the use of body worn cameras, the quality of hotspot patrols, the use of force by police officers whilst out on duty. Firearm discharge by police officers, injuries caused to police officers during police civilian interactions, injuries caused to civilians during police civilian interactions. Complaints against police officers, the issues around police legitimacy within the realm of society,” he said.

Sixty cameras were provided to the TTPS by TSTT for free, for the initiative. Williams said TT will become the first country in the world to commission a national level study on the use of body cameras by police. He said there were many studies commissioned globally on these cameras but there was none commissioned across an entire country.

He said previous studies have shown the use of body cameras have impacts that relate to police behaviour, police use of force, citizen behaviour and other issues, however those findings were generated from studies in the United States and other western countries.

“We now have an opportunity to find out how effective is the use of body cameras in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Williams addressed the issue of police officers turning the cameras on and off saying they are trying to allow their experiment to run with the cameras being on all the time with the exception of an officer going to the restroom.

“While an officer is out on duty we would love to have all events captured,” he said.

TSTT Chief Executive Officer Ronald Walcott described the initiative as ground breaking. He said the programme will enhance the relationship police have with the public and will aid in building the public confidence needed to effect good policing. He said they partnered with Motorola to provide the TTPS with the Motorola Digital Evidence Management Solution.

He said footage from these cameras cannot be modified by anyone as it is encrypted and once images are captured it will be sent straight to the command centre. “The command centre has a vault with several layers of security which restricts access to most people so the footage is encrypted and access to the video is highly secure,” Walcott said.