Agreement for body, dash cams for cops inked

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Marvin Dames says the government is serious in its commitment to reduce crime in The Bahamas as it signed an agreement with the Trinidad-based AE Tactical, for body and dash cams for police officers.

Dames said during the signing ceremony that policing in the 21st century must employ innovation in its best form, in order to achieve the kind of results of safety, security and orderliness demanded of civil societies. He said effective crime-fighting techniques and procedures were heavily based on accuracy, relevance and timeliness of information received.

“Presently, there is no better way, based on human interventions, to meet this criteria than through technology,” he added.

“Crime detection and prevention is serious, and the government of The Bahamas takes seriously the mandate to control and reduce criminal activities in this country.

“As such, improvement in technology is receiving and will receive high-level commitment from the government to improve techniques and heighten the capabilities of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in its quest to reduce and prevent crime in The Bahamas,” he added.

Dames said he was “extremely pleased” by the signing of the contract between the authorities here and AE Tactical, and its partner Axon, for body and dash cams, underscoring the seriousness and veracity of the government’s approach towards “the fight against crime, safety of communities and enabling of police officers to perform their duties in an optimal way”.

He said “body-worn cameras are an effective law enforcement tool that can reduce violent confrontations and malicious complaints against officers,” adding that they also “provide additional documentation of police-public encounters and will be an important tool for collecting evidence and maintaining public trust”.