[DigitalToday reporter Jae-won Choi (최재원)] Japan's police are moving ahead with plans to introduce wearable cameras that record frontline officers' work on scene. A pilot project confirmed they can be used to verify the appropriateness of duties after the fact and to serve as training and investigative evidence.

On Aug. 28, Japanese media outlet ITmedia reported that the National Police Agency said, "The usefulness of wearable cameras in police activities has been confirmed," and added it would move to prepare for actual introduction, including securing a budget and setting operating rules.

The agency used cameras for 3 months from September last year in local police activities at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Osaka Prefectural Police and Fukuoka Prefectural Police. It deployed them for 6 months through March this year at traffic enforcement sites in Aichi, Niigata and Kochi prefectural police departments.

In the trial, video was used as a tool to objectively confirm what happened between officers and citizens. In a drug case, police checked footage after a suspect raised an issue over the process of voluntarily accompanying officers. Supervisors also regularly watched traffic enforcement video to check whether enforcement was appropriate. Footage that uncovered a drug case through questioning was used as police training material, and a scene in which an officer was attacked was used as criminal evidence in an obstruction of official duties case.

Assessments from the field were largely positive. Officers who took part in the pilot voiced views such as, "We can objectively confirm the situation in the course of performing our duties," and "It is highly valuable as practical training material." Some also called for making the equipment lighter.

Public reaction was mixed. Some expressed positive views such as, "It is better for police to wear cameras," and "It is good that enforcement situations are left on video." In disputes, others asked why they were being filmed, or reacted during questioning by saying, "If you record, I will not talk."

The agency plans to push for full introduction of wearable cameras based on the pilot. How it will draw up detailed operating standards, including the scale of distribution and methods for filming and storage, is an issue of interest.