NOW_ 7PMs_LECCBodyCams_05

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The New South Wales police watchdog has recommended the force make it mandatory for officers to activate their body-worn cameras when attending any incident where they are likely to use their police powers.

Transcript

00:00The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has tabled its much-anticipated report in State

00:06Parliament this afternoon, which includes 15 recommendations regarding the use of body-worn

00:12cameras by NSW Police.

00:14The most significant recommendation is that the force require officers to activate their

00:18cameras whenever it's likely they will exercise their statutory powers, which would include

00:23the vast majority of incidents police attend.

00:26The current NSW Police operating procedure says that officers should use their judgement

00:31when deciding to use their body-worn cameras.

00:34The Commission examined a range of cases where NSW Police officers failed to capture a significant

00:39incident on their cameras, including in May 2023 when Stephen Pampaleon was shot dead

00:45by police.

00:46The officers claimed the 41-year-old lunged at them with two large knives before they

00:51were forced to shoot him, but the officer's body-worn camera was not switched on until

00:55after he was killed.

00:57Today's report also recommended that body-worn camera footage be made available to be viewed

01:01by members of the public who make complaints about police misconduct.

01:06The Commission will now seek a response from the NSW Police force, which said in a statement

01:10this afternoon it was considering the report and would respond in due course.

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