Law Enforcement Officers in Almelo start using Bodycams

All local law enforcement officers in the Dutch city and municipality of Almelo will be kitted out with a bodycam during the coming six months (the duration of the pilot). In this period of time, it will become clear how big the impact of bodycams is on local law enforcement officers’ safety on the job.

Safety first

The current trend of physical and verbal violence directed at local law enforcement officers is sadly on the rise. This is why local law enforcement officers have decided to experiment with a bodycam pilot. The increasing aggression is leading to a society that is steadily becoming more violent. This results in more incidents, according to the municipality of Almelo. The national trend of increasing violence has motivated the municipality’s desire to see if it’s possible for local law enforcement officers to carry out their duties in a safer way – with the help of bodycams. 

Bodycams for de-escalation and prevention

Apart from guaranteeing extra safety, the municipality of Almelo will also look at the preventative function of bodycams, as well as their ability to de-escalate situations. The law enforcement officers, mayor and aldermen are all in favour of using bodycams. Local law enforcement officers are seeing a reality that is growing more dangerous and volatile by the day and municipalities want to do as much as possible to guarantee their safety.

The effects of wearing a bodycam will be put to the test until December, when a conclusion on the continued use of bodycams will be reached. Until then, law enforcement officers are free to decide when they want to use bodycams, as long as they clearly state when they are recording.

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