PNP looks to acquire 5,000 new body cams for police officers

Former Eastern Visayas police director Gilberto Cruz demonstrates police bodycam in this file photo.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is eyeing to acquire up to 5,000 body cameras for its officers’ use.

“We now have around 600 body cams that are being deployed. At any given time, around 90 percent are up and running now,” PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said in an interview over dzBB on Thursday.

“Wait a bit and we will add in our registration so that there will be between 4,000 and 5,000 body cams for our police officers,” Torre added.

The PNP chief explained that the body cameras were to be used in police response so that they can see suspects’ faces and the surroundings during operations.

READ: PNP sets 5-minute police response time in a pilot test for Metro Manila

Upon assuming office this week, Torre set a five-minute emergency response time target for police officers to be piloted within Metro Manila, with the eventual goal of shortening the duration to three minutes./mr