The São Paulo State Attorney General’s Office requested on Wednesday to the Supreme Federal Court that the use of body cameras by military police officers be restricted to large-scale police operations. The document sent to the Court’s president, Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, states that there are not enough equipment for the entire police force.
Last week, Barroso mandated the mandatory use of the equipment after several cases of police violence and repeated failures in the use of cameras in operations and compliance with activation protocols were reported. The state government argues that not all operations involve confrontation risks.
The state government has previously committed to the STF to use body cameras in police operations in the state and presented a timeline for the system’s implementation. The state planned to purchase new cameras, and in September, signed a contract with Motorola for the acquisition of 12,000 body cameras.
In May, the Public Defender’s Office of São Paulo and human rights entities requested changes to the camera procurement process. Although Barroso initially denied the request, he decided that the state government should follow the parameters of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in the procurement of body cameras. The decision mandating the use of cameras was then issued on Monday.