© Velko Angelov
The proponents of the changes in the law recall the cases from the end of 2023 with the protest once morest the BFS leadership and the death of a man who died during arrest in Stara Zagora
Extraordinary news
Get the big news as it happens – straight to your email.
That police officers wear personal video cameras, also called body cameras, attached to their uniforms during searches and arrests, and that what is documented by the cameras be admitted as evidence. This is provided for by amendments to the Law on the Ministry of Internal Affairs, introduced by a group of deputies from “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria”.
“When carrying out the activities… the police authorities wear personal video cameras. The captured dynamic images – video recordings and audio recordings, represent evidence of the circumstances reflected in them regarding the activities carried out, the persons for whom coercive actions are taken, the date, time and place of implementation of the relevant activity and the participants in the proceedings. The procedure for using the personal video cameras and access to the captured dynamic images – video recordings and audio recordings, is determined by an instruction of the Minister of the Interior,” the deputies propose to write into the law.
Body cameras become mandatory for police officers in Sofia
“Personal video cameras” are a set of video cameras, recording devices of dynamic images and sound, which are intended to be attached to the uniformed clothing of the employees in the performance of their duties”, it is also written in the proposals for changes introduced with the signatures of Ivaylo Mirchev, Bozhidar Bojanov , Nadezhda Yordanova, Irina Mutafchieva, Petar Kyosev, Iskren Mitev, Vasil Pandov and Ivan Belchev.
The text of the proposed amendments together with the reasons for it is published on the website of the National Assembly.
“The proposed amendments to the Law on the Ministry of Internal Affairs are imperative in view of the frequent cases of accusations of police violence, excess of police powers and abuse of power. These accusations and the lack of convincing evidence of the complicity of police officers in committing illegal acts or their acquittal give rise to society a feeling of impunity, police arbitrariness and reinforce the impression that the forceful methods and threatening behavior of the policemen are their style and method of work,” the petitioners wrote in the reasons.
The Ministry of the Interior will buy 16-17 thousand chest cameras for the police officers
They also point out that only in the last months of 2023, the focus of public attention was on the cases of violence during the protest once morest the management of the Bulgarian Football Union, on the case of a man in Stara Zagora who died during an arrest and following a chase with the police, as well as a case of alleged wrongful detention of another man in Sofia under controversial circumstances.
According to the petitioners, the regulation of the wearing of personal video cameras during the implementation of security activities – protection of public order and ensuring the safety of traffic on the roads, will have favorable consequences in the regulation of relations between law enforcement officers and citizens. In addition, it will increase public confidence in the authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, while ensuring the safety of both law enforcement officers and citizens. In addition, according to the proponents of the changes, body camera footage would be able to serve as valuable evidence in criminal cases.
“I’ll put you in the patrol car and hit you”: the Ministry of Internal Affairs is checking a police officer because of a video with threats
“Filmed footage provides an objective record of events that can be used to ensure the accuracy of any report. In this sense, they are a universal means of establishing the facts in law enforcement activities of a different nature – such as when conducting mass events, where part of the offenders cannot be identified and the operational situation is complicated, including through cases of individual checks and detention,” the petitioners write in the reasons.
The proposals also envisage that motor vehicles using a special traffic regime will be equipped with a mobile video surveillance device, including the vehicles of the National Security Service. According to the importers, this will contribute to increasing control over cars with a special traffic mode, as well as compliance with traffic rules by all participants.
#law #provide #personal #camera #police #officer
