G4S ACADEMY BODYCAMS GUIDE VERSION 170811
BODYCAMS INFORMATION Bodycams are video cameras worn on people s bodies. They can be worn on the torso, head or as glasses. They are called body worn video (BWV) cameras or bodycams. We live in a computerized world that s hardly new to anyone. Just 15-20 years ago, it was a matter of chance if a person had a camera or video camera on them when something unexpected occurred. A traffic accident, a fire or perhaps a bank robbery. Today, almost everybody has a camera on them young and old alike. Not only that, a photo or video can be published online in a matter of seconds for the whole world to see. Is this a good thing? Yes, to a certain extent. Does the published photo or video represent the truth? Yes, the truth of the person publishing the photo or video. Is the photo or video genuine? That can be difficult to determine. Is this a problem? Absolutely! This guide is about how bodycams can help document incidents and the impact they can have on occupational safety, civil liberties and security and protection of all implicated parties. CONTENTS Legislation The Police and Other Authorities The Issue in Brief Recommendations Regarding BWV Systems Examples and Impact Quality Assurance LEGISLATION In Denmark, there are several laws that apply to video monitoring: Act on Video Surveillance (covers only the use of video monitoring by private individuals) Act on Processing of Personal Data (covers use and storage of video recordings and photos) Danish Criminal Code, paragraph 232 (indecency), paragraph 263(1)(3) (invasion of privacy and defamation) and section 264a (unlawful photography) Public Administration Act and principles of good public administration Rules and principles of labor law Bodycams are not covered by the legislation on video surveillance because they can be started and stopped by the person wearing the camera by pressing on the camera, as on a smartphone or an ordinary video camera. The recording is initiated based on the individual s assessment of the situation. What the Danish Act on Processing of Personal Data says about recorded material: Recorded material must be protected against unauthorized disclosure or abuse. Recorded material must be erased no later than 30 days after the recording has been made, unless the recording is part of a dispute. In which case, the recording may be retained for longer than 30 days. The person(s) who is/are the subject of the recordings must be notified of the dispute within the 30-day period. The recording must be disclosed to the person(s) involved in the dispute upon request.
All these requirements apply to the camera, which has internal memory, and, of course, to the data storage. Many bodycams also record sound. What the Danish Criminal Code paragraph 263 says about sound recordings: It is prohibited to monitor and record sound unless the monitoring or recording takes place with the consent of at least one of the parties in the conversation being monitored or recorded. Bodycams are not covered by the Danish Criminal Code as the recording is started and stopped by the person wearing the camera by pressing on the camera and thus there is consent from at least one person. Since March 2016, G4S has had approval from the Danish Data Protection Agency to use BWV cameras. THE POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES The police have broader powers than others. The police are regulated by legislation and the courts. Authorities are not subject to the Act on Video Surveillance as that only regulates the use of video surveillance by private individuals. Authorities are subject to the Act on Processing of Personal Data, especially section 5, on proportionality, impartiality and good practices for the processing of data, and sections 6 8, on the processing of personal data. There are requirements stating that the surveillance must be well-founded and may not take place in public areas with ordinary public access. THE ISSUE IN BRIEF In the legislation, bodycams are considered similar to smartphones. However, the Act on Processing of Personal Data makes indirect requirements that the data in the camera be protected and that the data always be protected from unauthorized disclosure. Similarly, there should be a clear indication on the camera when it is recording and this may be supplemented with a label, either on the uniform or camera. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING BWV SYSTEMS If a bodycam is used to record incidents, which may later be used as evidence or documentation of the sequence of events, additional requirements apply: It must be clear to everyone within the vicinity of the camera that it is recording. This can be in the form of, for example, a red light turning on. It must only be possible to remove the recordings from the camera under controlled conditions to protect the recordings. This may be a docking station or via Wi-Fi connection to a specified server. The recordings must be secured inside the camera itself to protect them from unauthorized disclosure or abuse. The recordings must be time-stamped just like recordings made using conventional video monitoring systems to prevent manipulation (editing) of the recordings. Servers and any associated software must be secured in the same way as the camera. To avoid problems, the camera should be adjusted to the same light-sensitivity as the human eye. If the camera is better than that, the recordings may ultimately be assessed to be untrustworthy, because modern technology actually makes it possible to record usable images in the dark. The camera should have a resolution of at least 480 pixels. More than 5,000 authorities spend around DKK 2 million on cameras with this resolution and higher resolution is not necessary. The camera should have a pre-event buffer of at least 30 seconds, meaning the camera also saves recordings at least 30 seconds prior to activation. The camera should be extremely simple to activate and deactivate as it will often be used in stressful situations. The camera should be robust as it will often be used in demanding environments.
EXAMPLES AND IMPACT What makes bodycams unique is that the person wearing them has their hands free to do their jobs, such as: Protection and assistance Investigating crimes Documenting a crime scene Self-defense Apprehending a suspect Observing in motion Extinguishing a fire Treating wounded Interviewing persons Searching for hidden narcotics in a vehicle Conducting health inspections And much more Cameras can be worn on the torso, head or as glasses. The chosen solution depends on the environment where the camera is to be used. Head-worn solutions are better at following the wearer s observations, but the images tend to be unsteady. Being able to document an incident has many positive aspects, in that it is possible to prove what was said and done at a later time. The impact in the police is a reduction of socioeconomic costs due to: Situations not escalating to uncontrolled violence. Less violence and thereby fewer injuries to society and public servants, ultimately resulting in less absence due to sickness. Fewer arrests, resulting in fewer reports that must be investigated and elucidated by the legal system s various bodies. Increased confidence in the police and strengthening of their reputation. Bodycams have had the same impact within, among others, the security industry. The recordings will often have a direct impact on occupational safety as well as on protecting the civil liberties of the implicated parties. QUALITY ASSURANCE Another area where use of bodycams has had a positive impact is in quality assurance. In many situations, there is a genuine need to document an incident or a sequence of events in part, to prove what happened and in part, to refute any erroneous allegations about what happened. This is often possible with bodycams, because they are mobile and present at the time of the incident. It is important that the software used to handle bodycam recordings also enables efficient indexing and metadata tagging. Every person who uses the system must be registered in an incident log, not least to comply with the Act on Processing of Personal Data.
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