1-2-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The police force in Malaysia is set to receive a total of 7,648 body-worn cameras (BWCs) in a phased manner starting from September, according to Comm Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad, the director of Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department. The Home Ministry issued an acceptance letter on Tuesday, finalizing the supply of BWCs to the police force.
The primary recipients of the BWCs will be personnel in the mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) and the motorcycle patrol unit (URB), which fall under the jurisdiction of the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department. The Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department will also be equipped with these cameras.
Comm Wan Hassan stated that the supply of BWCs will take place in stages, commencing in September this year and continuing until February next year. These cameras will be distributed across 157 district police headquarters and 640 police stations nationwide.
The implementation of BWC usage will also be carried out progressively, starting in October. Comm Wan Hassan expects that by March next year, MPV and URB personnel will be fully utilizing the cameras. Training for MPV and URB personnel on the use of BWCs is scheduled to take place from March to December next year.
He emphasized that the introduction of BWCs will have a positive impact on preventing misconduct and integrity-related issues among police officers. These cameras have the capability to record the actions of officers in the field, including any wrongdoing. Each user of the BWCs will be assigned a unique ID while on duty. The cameras do not have a delete recording function and are capable of recording video and audio for up to eight hours.
Comm Wan Hassan highlighted that BWC recordings can serve as evidence of a suspect’s verbal communication and actions. The usage of BWCs will be mandatory while on duty, and failure to wear them will be considered a disciplinary offense.
In addition to curbing misconduct and integrity problems among MPV and URB personnel, the BWCs will also provide protection to police officers against unwarranted criticism of their actions while carrying out their duties. The standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of BWCs is currently being finalized before distribution to all officers nationwide. The SOP is crucial to ensure the proper and consistent use of the BWCs.
