Cameras can protect police officers, speed up justice and strengthen public trust – but only if policy, privacy and training keep pace with the technology, the Police Association says. 

If delegates to the 90th NZ Police Association annual conference are anything to go by, Kiwi officers would have body-worn cameras as part of their kit yesterday.

The final act of October’s conference was a unanimous call for Te Aka Hapai to support the introduction of body-worn cameras (BWCs) for NZ Police and to advocate for their considered and safe introduction.

BWCs are on the chests of officers all over the globe including Australia, Britain and the United States. The potential for NZ Police to join them was a focus of the three-day annual conference.

Four experts – JR Miller from law enforcement technology maker Axon, Robert Hoogenraad from Corrections, Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster, and Police Association senior employment officer Natalie Fraser – gave conference delegates and guests an outline of what cameras could mean for safety, fairness and trust.

‘Tool to protect and connect’

For Axon sale engineering leader JR Miller, who has overseen BWC rollouts across Australia, the key message is that they are not just devices but a system.

“The camera is the tip of the iceberg – what matters most is the system behind it,” JR says. “It’s about real-time safety, accountability and operational awareness.”

Axon’s system can automatically start recording when a Taser or firearm is drawn, upload securely to the cloud and allow supervisors to monitor critical events live. Some models even translate spoken language in real time.

“That one incident that exonerates them and makes their life easier – that’s the turning point,” JR says of initial sceptics who become advocates once the technology protects them.

He points to results across the Tasman: Queensland Police saw faster family-violence prosecutions; Victoria Police cut hours from evidence handling; and Tasmania Police saved millions in storage costs.

“It’s not just new hardware – it’s the connected system that saves time and builds confidence,” he says.

‘Not a panacea, but it works’

Corrections tactical operations principal adviser Robert Hoogenraad offered the closest New Zealand example. Since 2021, 2500 Axon cameras have been issued to prison officers nationwide.

“The deployment plays a critical role in enhancing transparency, accountability and staff safety,” Robert says.

A six-month pilot in high-risk units produced a 15% to 20% drop in assaults. Staff reported feeling safer and prisoner behaviour improved when cameras were visible – and footage is routinely used to resolve complaints and guide training.

“Both staff and prisoners moderate their behaviour when the BWC is activated,” Robert says. “It’s a de-escalation tool as much as an evidential safeguard.”

Every shift, each officer collects an assigned camera, all footage uploads automatically to a secure cloud and is audited for privacy compliance. Still, challenges remain: accidental activations, heavy data storage volume and the human tendency to forget to press record in the heat of the moment.

“BWCs aren’t a panacea,” he says, “but when implemented ethically and consistently, they’re powerful for safety, accountability and professionalism.”

The privacy equation

Conference discussions made clear that Police would need a careful rollout – one that addresses privacy, training and fair interpretation of footage.

Privacy commissioner Michael Webster reminded delegates that body cameras raise deep questions about rights, trust and social licence.

“Recording individuals’ actions and conversations is inherently privacy-intrusive,” Michael says. “But it’s not about choosing public safety or privacy – it’s about doing both well.”

He said any rollout must rest on:

• Lawful purpose: Cameras must serve a clear operational need.
• Proportionality: Record only what’s relevant.
• Transparency: Officers should let people know when they’re being filmed.
• Governance: Protect access, encrypt data and delete footage once no longer needed.

Michael urges Police to complete a Privacy Impact Assessment and consult widely before any rollout, to build what he called “social licence” – public trust that the cameras are being used fairly.

This would ensure cameras are introduced “with community buy-in, not just legal authority”.

“The right to privacy, and living in a free and democratic society, are precious taonga,” he says. “We need to show that it’s possible to keep people safe while protecting their privacy.”

For association members, his message was clear: privacy isn’t a barrier – it’s part of the foundation for getting cameras right.

‘It doesn’t see what you see’

Police Association senior employment adviser Natalie Fraser, who has studied Force Science and supports members during post-incident investigations, stressed that BWCs are not eye-tracking devices.

Video evidence can distort perceptions if used without understanding how the human brain works under stress, she says.

“A camera does not follow your eyes and see exactly what you see,” Natalie says. “It records what your chest is facing – not where your attention is.”

She outlined research showing how attention, perception and memory interact during high-stress encounters. In one Force Science study, 44 officers wore both BWCs and eye-tracking glasses during simulated armed confrontations. The cameras captured only two-thirds of the critical moments the officers actually saw.

“Footage alone is insufficient for evaluating officer behaviour,” Natalie says. “It can’t capture tactile cues such as feeling someone tense before they resist or the split-second decisions your training triggers. BWCs record what happened – not necessarily what was seen, felt or decided in that moment.”

That gap between what the camera shows and what the officer experienced can have major implications for investigations and court proceedings.

“We know how footage can be played back in slow motion from the comfort of an office,” she says. “But you had to decide in real time, possibly while your life was on the line.”

Natalie also cautions against repeated viewing of footage before interviews because they can unintentionally reshape memory.

“Watching the footage becomes your memory,” she says. “It’s not deliberate, it’s just how the brain works.”

Her takeaway for members: BWCs are valuable tools – but not infallible evidence. Human factors still matter. In other words, technology can help – but only if policy, context and human understanding come first.

Across all perspectives, the conference made one thing clear: cameras may bring protection and proof, but they also bring complexity. For Police Association members, the path forward lies in ensuring that technology serves – not second-guesses – the people wearing it.