Swiss cantons to equip police officers with bodycams

Vaud and Valais police officers to receive bodycams Keystone-SDA

Police officers in the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Valais are to be equipped with bodycams.

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The Vaud government wants to “strengthen transparency, trust and security” in police operations with the general introduction of body cameras, as it wrote in a press release on Thursday.

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The body cameras would help to “prevent rudeness and violence during operations, provide objective recordings that can be used in court and support the accountability, legitimacy and credibility of police work”, which is in the interests of both officers and the public.

A pilot trial conducted in 2019 and 2020 by the cantonal police and the Lausanne municipal police confirmed the added value of bodycams. As a first step, each two-man patrol of the mobile riot police will be equipped with at least one bodycam. A gradual roll-out is then planned, with the aim of eventually equipping all police officers.

Regulated recordings

The aim of the change in the law is to standardise practice and train police forces in such a way that the same quality standard is guaranteed when using bodycams. However, each police force will remain free to decide on the degree of use, according to the authorities.

The recordings made using the bodycams may be kept for a maximum of 150 days, unless otherwise ordered by a court. Access to the images will also be strictly regulated and reserved for the competent authorities, the government further emphasised.

The amendment to the law will soon be submitted to the Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud.

No foreigners in Valais police force

The Valais Grand Council approved an amendment to the law on the cantonal police in a single reading on Thursday. This will authorise the use of bodycams and automated vehicle searches. Only the Greens voted against.

The wish of the Upper Valais centre to include the use of stun guns in the amended law was not supported by the majority of the council. The Valais cantonal parliament also refused to allow people with C permit residenceny status to join the cantonal police force.

Neuchâtel, Jura and Basel-City had decided the opposite in the past.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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