The Royal Anguilla Police Force has begun a trial of body-worn cameras in a bid to enhance accountability, transparency and evidence collection.
The small, portable devices, which typically attach to a police officer’s uniform, are designed to capture real-time video and audio during interactions with the public.
Five cameras will be in use during the trial which began on 20 September and will last for two weeks.
Three cameras have been assigned to the Tactical Unit and two have been assigned to the VIPER Team – a group of highly trained armed officers from the United Kingdom.
“All participating officers have completed comprehensive training on the proper use of the cameras, provided by the supplier,” a press release from the police force on 23 September said.
It added: “These cameras are expected to improve the accuracy of incident reports and provide valuable support in investigations.”
Nineteen-year-old Shane Flemming died after being shot by police during a suspected armed robbery at Island Supermarket in White Hill sometime after 4.45pm on 7 July, this year.
Body-worn cameras, if in use at the time, may have assisted in the ongoing investigation into the incident.
In the United States, states like New Jersey and Colorado have made body-worn cameras mandatory for police officers during public interactions.
Similarly, in France, they are required for law enforcement officers during protests or crowd control situations.
Anyone with information on any criminal incident can call 911, (264) 497-2333 or 497-5333, or leave an anonymous message, video or photo at www.gov.ai/911
Information from the website is stored in a secure location in California in the United States of America and access to it is tightly controlled.
