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Singapore Budget 2014: Body-worn cameras to boost frontline policing

Police officers in Singapore will start wearing body-worn cameras in the middle of the year, in a pilot project that aims to boost frontline policing. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
Police officers in Singapore will start wearing body-worn cameras in the middle of the year, in a pilot project that aims to boost frontline policing. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

Police officers in Singapore will start wearing body-worn cameras in the middle of the year, in a pilot project that aims to boost frontline policing.

Announcing this in Parliament, Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran cited how police forces in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada have benefitted from the use of such cameras.

He said: "Such cameras and their recordings have been useful in deterring crime, calming rowdy members of the public, and providing valuable investigative leads."

Mr Iswaran added that leveraging on technology is an "important element" in enhancing the fight against crime. He noted that over 21 months, footage from police cameras installed in HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks have helped to solve 48 crime cases, and generated investigated leads for a further 195 cases.

Over 2,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks have been installed with cameras, and a further 1,000 more are expected to be equipped with the same technology this year.

All 10,000 HDB blocks and multi-storey carparks are expected to be installed with cameras by 2016.

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