Body-worn cameras could police the police, but still it’s the officer pressing ‘record’
As a new tool, body-worn cameras can help in building accountability and trust in a police force that has lost the confidence of the public, but the question remains: who governs its use?
Body-worn cameras, or BWCs, are South Africa's newest policing tool and have reignited the debate over police power. Internationally, the technology has been justified to gather digital evidence, deter violence, and promote transparency and accountability. However, the effectiveness of these benefits relies on the governance of BWCs.
Police wield immense power over citizens, granted through a deal that involves safeguarding against abuse and accountability. Every new police tool revisits this deal, reducing it to the question of who governs its use. BWCs can help build accountability and restore trust in a police force that has lost public confidence, but the question remains: who governs its use?
Police control every aspect of BWC operations, from selecting and procuring the systems to deciding when to press the record button and how to manage and share footage. This control undermines the oversight and accountability that BWCs are meant to provide. Only when oversight bodies, civilian panels, and the public have access to BWC footage can it truly hold police accountable and give communities a real view of how they are policed.
Efforts to improve transparency and accountability through BWCs remain stymied by South African policing culture, which treats oversight as a threat rather than a duty. While the DA champions BWCs nationally, Cape Town's implementation of them has been lackluster. To truly make BWCs effective, pressure must be applied to establish independent scrutiny, operational rules based on international lessons, and a united demand for regulation and oversight.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
