Japan Police to Test Body Cameras to Check Duties

Tokyo, Oct. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday that body cameras, or cameras designed to be worn on the chest of police uniforms, will be introduced on a trial basis at some prefectural police departments in the fiscal year starting next April.

The cameras are mainly aimed at checking whether duties such as police questionings and crackdowns on traffic violations are being carried out appropriately, according to the agency.

The NPA will consider whether to introduce the cameras nationwide based on the result of the trial.

The cameras will be worn by officers engaging in patrol and questioning duties, those enforcing traffic rules at intersections and other locations, and those in charge of crowd security at fireworks festivals and other events.

The filming of duties will be carried out as part of voluntary police activities. The cameras will emit a red light and officers will wear an armband to notify people that they are being filmed.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]