CEBU CITY, Philippines — Traffic enforcers from the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) will man the streets wearing body cameras to document all of their operations, especially in apprehending traffic law violators.
On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the city’s Public Information Office announced that the city government has purchased dust, water and shock-proof body-worn cameras.
The body cameras, according to the PIO, is expected to improve transparency, accountability and law enforcement legitimacy among the traffic managers.
Personnel from the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue and the Bantay Mandaue CDRRMO will already wear body cameras to improve their operations. | Photo from Mandaue City PIO
The PIO said having the equipment may prompt an apprehended person to behave better when dealing with the traffic enforcers.
“Furthermore, body-worn cameras may also result in higher rates of citizen compliance during encounters and fewer complaints lodged against law enforcement. Studies have shown that citizens often change their behavior toward officers when they are informed that the encounter is being recorded,” the PIO said in a Facebook update.
The videos that would be captured by the body cameras can also help in corroborating the facts of the encounter and hasten resolution of complaints.
“The City of Mandaue headed by Mayor Jonas C. Cortes is committed to upholding good governance, transparency and accountability in every operation even in these hard times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the PIO wrote.
Personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will also be using the body cameras during their operations.
The body cameras will be used by the CDRRMO personnel to document emergency situations, response operations as well as patient care.
The videos captured through the body cameras during their response operations may be used to review and critique their performance and during training programs.
“The Bantay Mandaue CDRRMO is continuously improving the services it provides the public even in these trying times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the PIO said. /bmjo