Queensland’s Minister for Police recently joined the Acting Deputy Commissioner in Townsville to roll out the Queensland Police Service’s new body-worn cameras. The state-of-the-art cameras boast impressive capabilities, including the option to live-stream interactions and feed information back to specialists or higher-ranking police in real time.
The Minister stated that the new technology was among the first of its kind to be rolled out. This is a world-leading initiative, fit for our world-class police service, he said. The live-streaming capabilities of these vests mean that the police can get clear, accurate information as an emergency unfolds.
The technology has already proven successful, including during a recent siege situation on Magnetic Island where a police negotiation coordinator managed the on-scene negotiator response without having to travel to the Island via ferry. The negotiator live-streamed into the body-worn cameras of negotiators on-scene and was able to give the best advice to those officers as the siege unfolded.
The life-saving technology strengthens the response of Queensland police, to ensure they can make quick and accurate decisions at the touch of a button. The current Queensland Government continues to deliver on their record AU$3 billion police budget, with more than 12,000 hi-tech cameras to be rolled out within the financial year – two years ahead of schedule.
The Thuringowa MP noted that the Government continues to back police with the resources and equipment they needed. He noted that as technology continues to advance, it’s incredibly important the Queensland Police Service have the equipment, they need to help keep communities safe.
Meanwhile, the Townsville MP stated that over 600 cameras have been distributed to Townsville police since May 2022. The Government will continue to back the police with both equipment and personnel to make sure police have the tools they need to do their job.
The Acting Deputy Commissioner stated that the camera’s capability took policing in Queensland to a new level. This is just an extra tool in the tool-belt of local officers, to ensure they can best protect the public, the Acting Deputy Commissioner said. He added that having this technology allows on-scene crews to utilise the advice from teams off-scene, in an instant.
The wearable and body-worn cameras market is estimated to register a CAGR of 16.9% during the forecast period (2022-2027). While wearable technology is still in its early stages, niche segments, like head-mounted displays, and body-worn cameras, among others, are anticipated to have a longer-term perspective. The following factors are expected to bring significant changes to market development: changing customer lifestyles, the shift toward fitness, and the need for advanced technologies for healthcare and safety applications.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, 43 of 68 police departments in major cities in the United States have body-worn camera programs with policies, with 24 making them quickly and publicly available on their department websites. The increase in the deployment of body-worn cameras can also be attributed to their use by military forces for training purposes and special law enforcement agencies.
Queensland wants to be at the edge of innovation and digital transformation and recently launched the Queensland Launches New Innovation Roadmap. The new AU$142 million Advance Queensland – Innovation for a Future Economy 2022-2032 blueprint will enable the acceleration of economic growth opportunities for Queensland in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032. It aims to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and jobs to engage in the emerging global future economy.