Abu Dhabi Police officers will soon carry small digital video cameras attached to their uniforms.
The cameras have been tested for two years in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Police announced in May that its officers would have similar devices.
Maj Gen Amir Al Muhairi, director general of operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said the high-definition cameras would improve officers’ performance and give an insight into their field work.
The cameras will be attached to the uniform next to the officer’s identity card. They have proved to be a success in other countries including the US and UK. Footage from the cameras will be used to help train new officers in field work.
Gen Al Muhairi said Abu Dhabi Police was keeping a close eye on overseas advances to improve its own practices.
Lt Col Youssef Al Ahmed, head of field photography in police operations, said the cameras had been sent to stations to be used by patrol officers.
They can record for eight hours, documenting everything from police work and procedures to incident response. When officers finish their shifts the video files will be downloaded to dedicated servers.
Lt Col Al Ahmed said the material could be used to analyse methods used in police work and measure the quality of officers’ performance.
He said cameras would enhance public confidence in police and measure the responses of members of the community.
Dubai Police chief Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzeina has said the cameras will not be controlled by the officers, and would help if a complaint were made against a policeman.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
