The cameras will initially only be used in Camden, but will then be rolled out to include Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon and Lewisham.
After the death of Mark Duggan in Tottenham in 2011 at the hands of armed officers, the cameras aim to make police actions more transparent.
However, the project has invited criticism – Jack Hart from The Freedom Association has warned that ‘everyone’ will be under suspicion.
“To create a situation where both police officers and the public feel constantly under suspicion is not sensible and undermines trust in all sectors of society,” he said, as reported on the BBC News website.
However, Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is confident that the cameras will help the police do their job and keep the public safe.
“I believe it will also show our officers at their best, dealing with difficult and dangerous situations every day, but it will also provide clearer evidence when it’s been alleged that we got things wrong,” he said.
Image credit: Getty
