Body worn cameras (BWC) give QPS officers an independent and objective way to capture incidents and interactions between police and members of the community. BWCs are becoming more common in policing here in Australia and around the world.
Why are police using body worn cameras?
Recording events as they occur enables us to gather evidence. Some of the other benefits of body worn cameras include:
- Less time on paperwork, which means more time on patrol
- Better evidence collection
- Less need for officers to use force
- Changing the behaviour of people at incidents
- Improved police conduct and professionalism
- Fewer complaints against police
- Fewer ‘not guilty’ pleas
Which camera will QPS officers use and how does it work?
The Queensland Police Service uses a variety of cameras supplied by Axon. These are a wearable camera system that can record both audio and video. They record high quality video even in low light settings and it can store up to 25 hours of recordings. The cameras can be controlled by the wearer, who can turn it on to begin recording an event and turn it off afterwards. There is also an operating mode which provides pre-event buffering to capture activities that occur before a recording is begun.
The Axon Flex 2 are still being used by motorcyclist police and the Axon Body 3 has replaced the Axon Body 2 due to:
- Slimmer ergonomics
- LCD display screen
- Controls on the camera for configurable settings
- Longer battery life (14 hours) and with rapid recharge
- Upgraded multi-microphone enhancement
- 64Gb recording capacity (25hrs)
- New 8-bay dock
- Live-stream capability (called Respond to view multiple live recordings)
- In-field priority video off-load or upload
- Embedded GPS.
What does QPS do with the recordings?
All recordings are the property of the Queensland Police Service and must be uploaded to the digital evidence management system at the end of each officer’s shift. This is automated through special camera docking stations known as evidence transfer managers.
When will officers be using the cameras? Are they always on?
Queensland Police officers can use a BWC to record images or sounds while performing their duties. Wherever possible, officers should make sure the device is recording before and during the use of a police power under legislation, or when applying a use of force.
How can I access body worn camera footage?
To access information held by the Queensland Police Service, including BWC footage, visit our Right to Information pages.
What is Axon Community?
Axon Community is a secured public evidence submission portal allowing agencies to collect evidence from the public during large scale and smaller, day to day events sharing and help solve specific investigations.
It allows police to send out individual invites to witnesses or community wide portal to submit photos and videos directly via an email link.