THE Home Minister’s announcement that the first batch of body-worn cameras (BWCs) will be delivered latest by next month is a welcome news indeed (“Bodycams to come earlier for the cops” The Star, May 10; online at bit.ly/star_ bodycam). It is a good step forwards for greater transparency and accountability.
The body camera is the tool to document interactions between police and the public and to ensure adherence to protocol, thus denying any form of false reports. This helps to improve the civility of police-citizen encounters while enhancing citizens’ perceptions of police transparency and legitimacy; it will help to improve community policing.