Police in Marbella have hailed their new body cameras after proving fundamental in securing convictions during their trial phase.
Eight of the devices, supplied by Telefonica as part of a pilot project, are already in use and are attached to officers’ vests.
The cameras are activated by the agents ‘when they deem it necessary’, and provide live streaming to the city’s local command centre.
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Incredibly, once the camera is activated, it saves everything that happened two minutes before the record button was pushed.
The new technology adds to the now 361 CCTV and surveillance cameras spread across the municipality.
The City Council plans to expand the programme to equip every officer on the street, acquiring 20 to 40 additional units.
From the streets to the courts
Each recording is legally valid and the Public Prosecutor’s Office accepts them as evidence. Whether it’s a drunk driver caught on camera or an aggressive suspect being restrained, the footage becomes irrefutable proof in court.
The cameras also have a deterrent effect, as although the law doesn’t require police to notify people when recording, officers report that simply mentioning the bodycam often defuses tense situations.
Field tests and real cases
So far, the cameras have been used at large-scale events like the Marbella and San Pedro fairs, in domestic violence incidents, in street fights and in traffic stops.
They are also integrated into taser units, and when the weapon is fired, the camera automatically records the intervention, providing an extra level of accountability for the officer’s action.
One officer recalled how footage helped disprove a family’s complaint after their 18-year-old son, under the influence of drugs, resisted arrest. The video confirmed that police had used only the minimum necessary force.
In another case, footage showed a Russian man kicking his partner during a domestic violence call. Although the victim refused to file a complaint, the judge admitted the recording and issued a conviction, reports Malaga Hoy.
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