Mick Meaney, rinf.com |
A decision has been made by a police chief in Salt Lake City, Utah, that will force all Police officers to wear surveillance cameras.
Officers will have the cameras clipped to the the side of all headwear, including glasses, helmets or hats.
274 US law enforcement agencies in the United States are currently using the devices and agencies in Australia, New Zealand and the UK are also testing the equipment.
Officers in Scotland have been using body cameras since 2010, but The Association of Chief Police Officers cannot say how many are in use across the UK.
Privacy campaign group, Big Brother Watch, has spoken out against the devices:
“We’re already seeing traffic wardens, bailiffs and council officials using them in Britain and it’s a sad indictment of authorities who see every member of the public as a suspect.
“What is the problem they are trying to solve? Are lots of police officers being assaulted and people getting off because there’s no CCTV? Of course not.
“This is a one-sided tool. How would police officers react if members of the public routinely filmed them?”