A report by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) confirms serious problems with the deployment of Body-Worn Video (BWV) cameras by NSW Police.
The police watchdog found that:
- Just over half of BWV cameras are in operation, with the rest being either defunct or broken; and
- The directions to officers regarding their use were unclear.
The LECC recommended that NSW Police Force mandate the use of BWV cameras, meaning all officers, including tactical and non-uniformed police, must activate their BWV cameras.
The LECC also found that there was no policy in place to allow someone making a complaint about police conduct to access relevant footage, and that the watchdog itself does not have automatic access to BWV footage.
Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) has dealt with numerous incidents through its Police Accountability Practice, where BWV would have greatly assisted in clarifying police conduct and confirming the facts under investigation.
RLC calls on the NSW Government to enact the recommendations of the LECC and compel NSW Police to activate their BWV cameras and address the deficiencies in the availability of equipment.
NSW Police must ensure that those making police complaints can access BWV footage, and the LECC must be granted direct access.
Sam Lee, Supervising Solicitor, Police Accountability, Redfern Legal Centre, says, “The use of BWV is so sporadic and random that its effectiveness as a tool for evidence gathering and police
accountability is greatly diminished.
Bystanders are often forced to film encounters with NSW Police with their own phones, because we cannot rely on the police to record the interaction.”
