When closed-circuit television cameras were found “not very effective” in monitoring activities of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and personnel, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) decided to use body-worn cameras that are capable of taking live footage with auto recording and live streaming.
In a statement, BuCor said the body-worn cameras can live stream directly to its command center to monitor effectively the activities within the detention facilities.
It said the purchase of the cameras included software developed in the United States.
“Lahat ng personnel na gagamit nito makikita natin ang location nila in real time at lahat ng nakikita nila during live streaming and video recording makikita din natin sa ating Command Center, talagang monitored natin ang nangyayari both the PDLs and our own personnel (We will be able locate the personnel using the bodycams and see on livestreaming and video recording at the Command Center what they are seeing. We can really monitor what is happening to PDLs and our own personnel),” Officer-In-Charge Deputy Director General for Operations Angelina Bautista said.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said “we would like also incorporate facial recognition feature in the program for easy identification of persons inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP),”
BuCor said that its personnel have begun training for the use of the body cameras with 20 of them expected to finish the training in two days.
When Catapang assumed BuCor’s top post, he ordered the installation of closed-circuit television cameras in strategic locations inside NBP in Muntinlupa City.
But Catapang found that the CCTVs were not enough to monitor the activities of both the PDLs and personnel.
Thus, he said, BuCor decided to use the more modern and more reliable body-worn cameras.