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Bodycam test project to begin in Brussels-Ixelles police zone

16:38 14/01/2020

The Brussels-Ixelles police zone will soon launch a three-month pilot project that will see agents wearing bodycams as part of their uniform. For the test phase, 35 agents who patrol the areas, both in cars and on bikes, will be outfitted with the cameras.

Body Worn Videos, or bodycams, are attached to the front of an officer’s uniform and are always on, constantly recording. Footage from the cams are stored for a short period of time before being deleted.

Officers can, however, hit a button that tells the system to save the footage for an indefinite period of time if they deem certain recordings important.

Bodycams are thought to help reduce police aggression by recording every move the officer makes, but the footage can also prove useful in investigations and officer testimony. The idea is to provide objective data in case of a conflict between police and suspects or other citizens.

“The test period will show us how the equipment responds, and then we will have a better idea of the costs involved and if every agent needs a bodycam,” said Brussels-City mayor Philippe Close. The 35 cams and video server cost some €120,000.

Photo: ©Dirk Waem/BELGA

Written by Lisa Bradshaw