All front-line Cayman police officers will have body-worn cameras by the end of July in a “pivotal advancement” for the service, Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton has said.
He added that the hi-tech cameras were an improvement that would benefit not just the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, but the public as well.
“This technology is not merely a tool for evidence gathering, it is a commitment to our officers and the public that that every interaction is grounded in integrity and professional standards,” Walton said. “By capturing an objective record of our work, we are strengthening the bond of trust between the RCIPS and the community we serve, ensuring that our judicial outcomes are supported by the excellent quality of digital evidence.”
Walton said bodycams were a “pivotal advancement in our mission to deliver a modern, transparent and accountable police service for the Cayman Islands”.
The Compass reported last August that bodycams would be issued this year after a successful two-year pilot programme and that the use of tasers would be extended as a result of increased violence against officers.
The service said the cameras would give “an objective record” of police dealings with members of the public, provide strong evidence and help protect officers and the public.
Superintendent Roje Williams, who led the pilot scheme, said, “This technology serves as a digital witness that protects both our officers and the community.
“By implementing strict guidance alongside this technology, we are ensuring it is used ethically, consistently and in a manner that maintains public trust and confidence in policing for all involved.”
Williams said rules on the use of cameras would be introduced on recording requirements for a range of incidents, including arrests, searches and cases where force had to be used.
The service added that a “significant investment” had been made to train instructors in the use of the cameras.
Police said there had been a series of meetings with interested parties over the pilot programme, but that more would be organised over the next few weeks for the public, the media and other agencies to “ensure broad awareness and understanding”.
When announcing the plan for bodycams last August, Walton said that the country had to move away from the idea that assaults on officers were “part and parcel of the job and we have to accept it’s part of the job – that’s totally unacceptable”.
He highlighted at the time that there had been 25 assaults against police officers to date – an average of about three a month.
Walton is no stranger to attacks – over his 38 years in the service, he has been shot at but escaped injury, stabbed in the arm – where he still bears a scar – and once had to fend off a machete-wielding attacker with a piece of plywood.
He also called for tougher sentences for those convicted of attacks on police and other public servants who work in potentially vulnerable positions.
Legislation in England and Wales in 2018 doubled the maximum sentence in the lower courts for common assault on police officers or other emergency workers from six months to a year.
In more serious assaults on emergency workers, their professions are counted as an aggravating factor, which allows for heavier sentences to be imposed.
Similar legislation was introduced in Scotland, which has a separate legal system, in 2005.
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Dear Commissioner Walton
Exactly, what you need. Body cameras. Besides weapons, which your leo’s should all have, but don’t, cameras are your best second line of defense, and an asset to all law enforcement. You mention tougher sentences for those convicted of crimes against officers and other public servants. Tougher sentences for anyone committing crimes against anyone. The attacks on Cayman involve fatal injuries, and the cretin should be punished to the maximum. Get tough, not tough love.