Currently there are about 375 bodycams in use by the Austrian police. According to a media report, this number will now rise sharply. By 2024, police officers across the country should be equipped with the devices — we’re talking up to 4,000 cameras in total.
As the “ORF” reported, the Interior Ministry would like to equip emergency services with 3,500 to 4,000 such body cameras. This year, the first tranche will be distributed among the departments.
Distribution to federal states still unclear
“Depending on the specific needs, which are currently being clarified in detail by the public customers, several thousand units up to the 6,000 advertised bodycams, including accessories and software, may be recalled by these various public customers,” the “ORF” quotes the Federal Procurement Service GmbH, which has been dealing with the prescribed award procedure since last year.
In addition to the police, other authorities may also need such cameras. Until now, however, the question has been how exactly the devices should be distributed among the departments. According to the first information, a separate working group has been set up to allocate the new cameras to the federal states.
‘Can also lead to false alarms’
According to the ministry, there are “currently about 375 body-worn cameras in use throughout Austria”, with 92 in Vienna alone. But: “False triggering can also occur, among other things.”
In Austria, ÖBB (188 pieces) and Wiener Linien (120 pieces) also use bodycams. However, both companies explained to the “ORF” that no further increase was planned.
Source: Krone
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