PDRM To Start Using Body Cams in October To Stop Bad Cops From Bad-Copping

By Danial Martinus  •  01 Feb 2024 in Futurism

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Malaysian police will start using Body Worn Camera (BWC) units this year.

7,648 BWC are expected to be supplied to police, starting in stages from September 2024 until February 2025. But the police will only start using them (again, in stages) in October this year.

The BWC will initially be used by the Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) and Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB), before being expanded to Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT).

To be used in 157 district police headquarters and 640 police stations nationwide

This comes amid a push to modernise policing in Malaysia, while also ensuring that police officers uphold their duties properly.

“In line with the development of technology and increasingly challenging policing assignments, it is our hope that the use of BWC will be able to improve good governance in the assignment of crime prevention patrols among MPV and URB officers,” said Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK) director Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad.

“With BWC embedded in police uniforms, it will further improve the relationship and cooperation between the public and the police because every conversation they have is recorded.”

Wan Hassan hopes that the use of BWC will also improve the image of the police in the community.

Any footage recorded on the BWC can be used as evidence in court, including cases involving the possible defamation of police officers, and of course, abuse of power committed by a cop. Everyone will be accountable.

Bad press for PDRM as of late

The rollout of BWC might come as welcome news for many Malaysians who harbour a strong distrust of the police. After all, with recent major cases allegedly involving corrupt and abusive police officers making the news as of late, it isn’t hard to see why some might encourage the use of BWC.

On 30 January 2024, Perak police arrested three traffic police officers for allegedly soliciting RM100 from a famous YouTube couple from the United Kingdom.

Earlier this year, two Selangor cops were arrested for the alleged rape and extortion of two college students.

And as if we didn’t have anymore examples of police officers abusing their power, a senior cop in Ipoh was charged with the murder of a 17-year-old student following a road rage incident late last year.

Do you think police should wear body cameras?