The next small step towards police wearing body cams: Police Association President Chris Cahill explains why he welcomes the news. Video / Herald NOW
The Police Commissioner has confirmed he wants body-worn cameras for frontline staff - and work is under way to make that a reality.
However, the Police Association and civil liberties campaigners are seeking answers over how they will be paid, and who will have access to the footage.
Police delayeda decision over the cameras last year, after they began issuing a new model of Taser, which was not equipped with a camera.
Richard Chambers said he has tasked one of his leaders with exploring options over the next 12 months for equipping frontline officers with body cameras.
“I made it clear from day one that it was a priority because we are one of the few law enforcement agencies that does not have body cameras.
“They have many benefits, including their evidential value. They can also help keep my staff safe in terms of their decision-making when dealing with volatile situations.”
He said the legal, privacy, and operational issues must first be addressed.
Police Association president Chris Cahill warmly welcomed the announcement, which he said could clear up misconceptions in the field, reduce complaints towards officers, and lead to more guilty pleas.
NZ Police Association president Chris Cahill is welcoming progress on body cameras. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He said officers were looking forward to using cameras, which had become an international standard.
“It isn’t the game changer that we thought it might be, but it has certainly got significant benefits and many officers in Australia don’t want to deploy without it.”
But Cahill was concerned about the price of introducing the technology.
“We know other police services around the world are withdrawing them because of the excessive cost of the storage and the issues around disclosure of the material.”
He wanted to ensure that the funding for the roll-out wouldn’t come out of the budget for frontline officers and police cars.
The NZ Council of Civil Liberties was worried about the implications the cameras had for the public’s right to anonymity.
Chair Thomas Beagle said cameras were becoming more common in public, and they threatened to combine with facial recognition technology.
“Suddenly, it turns footage into data of who was there, what their names are, and what they were doing.”
“In a way that’s really quite worrying and can be put together to build up the surveillance society.”
Chairman of the Council For Civil Liberties Thomas Beagle wants robust policy to go along with the roll out. Photo / Supplied
Beagle wanted a robust policy to accompany the rollout, which detailed who would have access to the footage to ensure it serves the public, not just the police.
He said that some overseas law enforcement agencies withheld body camera footage when they were accused of misconduct.
“If they are going to bring in body cameras, we may need to look at the idea of having someone independent making these decisions about when to release footage and who it should be released to.
“The Independent Police Conduct Authority would be an obvious example of people who could handle that.”
Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the commissioner has signalled his desire for body-worn cameras in their regular discussions.
“Police are in the early stages of looking at options, so it’s too early for me to comment on any budget considerations.
“There are clear benefits to this technology, and they are used all over the world.”
Jordan Dunn is a. multimedia reporter based in Auckland with a focus on crime, social issues, policing and local issues. He joined Newstalk ZB in 2024 from Radio New Zealand, where he started as an intern out of the New Zealand Broadcasting School.
