Special Police Units Using Body Cams

While the Belize Police Department received a virtual forensic laboratory to assist in combating cybercrimes, as we found out today from Kareem Musa, specialised units within the department have been using body cameras for some time now while performing their duties. The Home Affairs Minister says that it provides a different perspective when there are confrontations with the officers and that they are working with the Attorney General’s Ministry to ensure that video footage can hold water during court proceedings.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

Kareem Musa

“We have approximately two hundred body cameras that are being used by the specialised units of the police department. We are talking about the special patrol unit as well as the GI3. These are cameras that are worn by the police officers to give us insight into the interaction that police officers have with members of the public and it certainly adds a whole layer of accountability in terms of how we approach because that is something that our administration has been very adamant about changing that culture that has been there for so many years. So I think that body cams are certainly a way of getting the full picture because many times people who are recording would splice and you would only end up seeing the bad interaction from the police officers. And so this would enable us to see what prompted or what led to certain interactions with members of the public.”

Reporter

“When it actually comes to those body cams, is there legislation to support those to be used in a court of law?”

Kareem Musa

“As far as I am aware, yes. But we are working along with the Attorney General’s Ministry to ensure that it can be tightened to the extent to ensure that it is admissible in court. So that is very important as well for us to be able to utilize it in a court of law.”