RA Police Video Recording Devices Tested for about 8 years
15:34, June 27, 2015 | News, Own news
The Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor highlights the installation of video recording devices at police departments to technically register the entry and exit of persons to police departments. At the same time, the installation of such devices ranges among the major means to ensure transparency of police activities.
Back in December 2014, the Organization sent an inquiry to the Chief of the RA Police on availability of video recording devices at the RA Police Lori, Tavush and Shirak marz (region) divisions. In particular, the Organization tried to find out the number of such devices installed at police divisions and how long the records were kept and archived.
The response letter of the Police revealed that in 2012-2014, a total of 71 video surveillance cameras and video recording devices were installed in Lori, Shirak and Tavush marzes Police divisions, with 14 in Lori marz, 25 in Tavush marz and 32 in Shirak marz. It is quite noteworthy that the number of video recording devices totaling 22 is far less than that of video surveillance devices totaling 49. It was even stranger to find out that the video records by video recording devices were kept only one day. In other words, the videos showing and verifying the time when people enter and exit police departments, how long they stay there and finally the attitude of the police officers to them are kept only a day, whereas the terms for considering any appeal and complaint shall start from at least 10 days under the RA legislation.
According to the response of the Police dated February 13, 2015, the video recording devices installed at the Police Lori, Shirak and Tavush marz departments and their divisions are still tested. By the way, such devices were purchased in 2006-2008 and turn to be tested for about 8 years. According to the recent news in the mass media, the US president expressed in a statement his intention to allocate 50 million USD to police departments to purchase video cameras to be attached to every police officer’s uniform. It is quite clear that such investments aim to prevent any possible acts of violence and illegal actions by police officers against citizens and to technically register the risky situations the police officers might face.
Upon examining the international best practices of video recording in police departments, it is quite noteworthy to consider the video recording practices of questioning in the United States, Germany, France, Croatia and Serbia, compulsory for these countries in criminal procedure and any other cases as prescribed by law, regardless of the discretion of the investigating agency or wish of the party concerned.
The study revealed that in some other countries (Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus), questionings are video recorded upon relevant decree of the investigatory agency or motion by the party concerned. Whereas, the video recording devices in the RA Police departments are still tested and naturally fail to fix any acts of violence and illegal actions by the police officers against the citizens in police passages and interrogation room.
The HCA Vanadzor insists that the police departments should be provided with video recording devices, the records of which should be kept for the terms set by criminal procedure and administrative offence legislation for consideration and examination of relevant procedures and administrative actions, applications and appeals.