Police officers of the zone Brussels Ixelles have recently started patrolling with body cameras as part of a pilot project whose training phase is now over.
The Brussels municipal council already approved the use of bodycams by the Ixelles police zone in January 2020, according to Bruzz.
A first test phase was to start in April 2021, but was postponed until September.
“The training phase has now been completed and a number of officers are already on the road with a bodycam,” police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere told Bruzz.
“This happens on a voluntary basis. Officers choose for themselves whether or not they patrol with a bodycam.”
????♂️@zpz_polbru are proud users of our brand new bodycams. Nowadays, police work gets a bit blurry from time to time, and that’s why we focus! #community #tousensemble #livability #transparency pic.twitter.com/uzc29LH6fi
— Fietsflik David Stevens ??♀️??♂️???? (@DAVIDSTEVENS83) October 31, 2021
The 231 bodycams were budgeted at around €258,700 and are primarily intended to improve the relationship of trust between the police and the population by ensuring a truthful documentation of interactions.
Police activate the bodycam when they choose to, which then also includes a 30-second pre-recording.
Bodycam footage can be used as evidence in court.
