While the government is considering the introduction of body cameras for police officers, international research conducted so far has painted a mixed picture of their effectiveness as a crime deterrent.

A study published last year in the European Journal of Criminology concluded that the introduction of the devices had fuelled a 15 per cent rise in assaults against police.

On the other hand, a 2014 study by the UK College of Policing on the impact of body cameras on criminal justice outcomes involving domestic abuse cases produced positive results.

READ: Ministry looking into 'legal niceties' of bodycams

In Malta, the Police Officers’ Union has been very vocal in favour of the introduction of video technology, but to date, the government has taken a cautious approach.

Earlier this month, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela announced that a number of police stations would have CCTV cameras installed as part of an ongoing embellishment project.

Mr Abela also told this newspaper that a number of police stations equipped with an interrogation room would get a dedicated camera to have video evidence during questioning. Last December, a woman claimed to have been beaten at the Valletta station, but her allegations were disproved when video evidence showed she had banged her head against the wall.

Asked if the government was open to the introduction of bodycams as well as dashcams for traffic police, the minister said that he agreed in principle, but legal and privacy issues had to be addressed first.

Why are the authorities still dragging their feet to introduce this technology?

“We are in talks with the Data Commissioner and are also studying the impact and possible use of such evidence during court proceedings,” he said.

Police Officers’ Union president Inspector Sandro Camilleri has a very strong opinion in favour of introducing this form of technology for policing.

“In this day and age, when CCTV cameras are cropping up everywhere, I fail to see why privacy should be an issue, as long as there are established procedures regulating when such a device is used, as well as access and storage of the footage,” Mr Camilleri said.

“Why are the authorities still dragging their feet to introduce this technology, which could be crucial for law enforcement? To start off with, a camera at each police station is a must,” he remarked.

While not sourcing any study, he said that research has shown that bodycams could decrease allegations of excessive force by officers as well as assaults against them by as much as 70 per cent.

This newspaper also spoke to the Malta Police Association, which gave a more cautious backing to the introduction of cameras for law enforcers. Referring to the two aforementioned studies, Malta Police Association president Inspector Robert Vella said the conflicting evidence highlights the need for a deeper analysis.

“We agree in principle that the introduction of bodycams could serve as a deterrent, but we must tread very carefully on how such devices are to be used.”

Inspector Vella added that there must be rules and strict controls on camera usage.

“There should be no rush to introduce body cameras for police officers in Malta, but we feel the government should take a more proactive approach by carrying out its own studies to establish the way forward,” he said.

What the studies say

European Journal of Criminology

The research published in May last year in the European Journal of Criminology concluded that wearing body cameras increases assaults against officers and does not reduce police use of force. The data was gathered from eight police forces in six jurisdictions, covering a total population of more than two million citizens.

Officers taking part in the trial had to wear the camera for their entire shift and in case of any encounter with the public, had to inform the latter that they were being filmed.

Researchers themselves admitted that the puzzling results flipped the theoretical basis for the study on its head. One direct explanation might be that the cameras escalate an already inflamed police-public encounter, which results in more rather than less force being used, they concluded.  It might be that the suspect, officer or both become more aggressive, the study suggested.

College of Policing, UK

The research carried out in 2014 by the College of Policing of the UK analysed the impact of body-worn cameras on criminal justice outcomes in cases of domestic violence. In total, 70 officers of the Essex police made use of the device over a four-month period, in which they investigated 2,761 incidents.

It emerged that the presence of a camera increased the probability of an individual being charged at all risk levels, but the effect was most noticeable for lower-risk cases. But there were no differences in incidents being recorded as crimes or in rates of arrest and too few cases to identify the impact on guilty pleas and sentencing.

Half of the officers interviewed claimed that use of the cameras made them more confident in getting convictions, as they provided more details than a statement. Evidence was especially useful if it was a recording of the initial account, as it would capture emotions and injuries more accurately, reflecting the impact of the incident.

Officers also felt that cameras increased accountability and made them more mindful of their behaviour.

However, the strongest message from the survey and interviews was that the cameras had practical limitations, including failure to record, capturing footage from the wrong angle, difficulties switching them on or off and not working properly in poor light, as well as being bulky to wear, thus discouraging officers from using the equipment.

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