By Sue-Ann Wayow
POLICE officers will benefit from 1,000 body cameras.
This was stated by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds.
He was speaking in the Senate on Tuesday during the Questions for Oral Answer Segment.
Independent Senator Paul Richards enquired about the body cameras.
Hinds said, “Very happily, I can report that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is currently in the distribution phase of body cameras having very recently acquired an additional 1000 units for use of officers of the TTPS.”
He added, “Prior to this acquisition, the TTPS already had in its armoury so to speak, 160 functional body cameras in use. All together now, the police now have 1,160 body cameras and these have and are being deployed to maximum strategic effort across the TTPS in the fight against crime and in the spirit of transparency and all the other positives that such cameras would offer.”
With the 6,000 plus officers employed by the TTPS, Hinds indicated that there were plans to acquire more body cameras.
While he could not say the exact number, he said, “More are in contemplation and we will continue to expand the use of body cameras.”
The mission he said was to make the use of body cameras part of the routine policing done by the officers.
The minister also could not give the cost of the body cameras but added he would not hesitate to provide the information at the earliest opportunity.
