Campaigns for police officers to record their activities by means of digital video cameras, which would be affixed to their uniforms, generally occur in communities where there are frequent allegations of police misconduct. This poses the question of why the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces, which are generally held in high regard by the public, should be adopting cameras as part of the uniform.
Actually, there is a range of benefits applicable to policing in the UAE once officers start to sport small digital video cameras for the duration of their shift. As The National reported yesterday, the cameras will record, in high definition, for eight hours. They cannot be controlled by the officers carrying them and the footage will be downloaded to a dedicated server at the end of each shift.
Besides providing evidence of the incidents responded to by officers on patrol and offering a definitive record in case there are subsequent complaints of ineptitude, misconduct or brutality, the footage could also serve as a powerful training tool for new recruits and a salutary reminder of do’s and don’t s at refresher courses for more experienced officers. Traditionally, a rookie officer is teamed up with a veteran to instil the nuances of how to do the job in practice rather than just in theory. While that buddy system will always remain a key part of policing, basic training would undoubtedly be enhanced by the use of on-the-job footage that conveys best (and worst) practice during real operations.
Ultimately, of course, this issue boils down to a matter of trust. In some parts of the world, where social conflict is rife and communities riven by mistrust of the police, cameras can help bridge the chasm. Here in the UAE, we are fortunate that this ugly dynamic is not in play and that our law enforcement agencies enjoy our trust and repay it with their care. But the cameras are still a good idea. With people from all over the world visiting the country, police accountability is a great message to send to the world.