Several Queensland Police officers accused of attacking a man without cause at a party were exonerated thanks to body-worn camera footage, a new report into the use of the cameras in Queensland says.
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Case studies released by the Crime and Corruption Commission, researching the value of using such cameras, shows in one instance officers attended a party and were later accused of being aggressive toward the homeowners, and using capsicum spray without cause.
The homeowner's husband at the party complained officers had assaulted him, with the hosts providing CCTV to the investigation that appeared to confirm that claim.
However, the CCC report said police attending the party had activated their body-worn cameras, which showed minutes leading up to the alleged assault.
The new footage showed the complainant was in fact the aggressor who attacked a police officer minutes before, and police had been trying to defuse the situation.
All the police officers were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The case study is one of several highlighted in the CCC's latest Prevention in Focus report, which concludes the use of body-worn cameras not only protects authority figures such as police and correctional officers, but members of the public as well.
Evidence from trials of body-worn cameras showed members of the public who were being aggressive toward police were likely to stop when they were told their actions were being recorded.
However, greater training was needed to improve police and other agencies' understanding of when they could and could not record.
In another case, a police officer was alleged to have used excessive force when arresting a young Indigenous woman, banging her head against the floor of the police van repeatdly.
The officer in question told investigators he had turned his body-worn camera on when he arrived at an alleged altercation between three women, but turned it off to have a private conversation with his supervisor. He then did not turn it back on.
Another officer's body-worn camera was switched on, and recorded sounds of the alleged assault but no clear vision.
"As there was no objective evidence of the arrest and allegations of excessive use of force, a lengthy investigation had to be undertaken," the CCC report said.
The report did not detail the results of the investigation.
Cameras issued to Queensland Police automatically capture two minutes of footage prior to a recording being begun by an officer, allowing more detail about the background of a situation to be assessed.
Police officers upload all their footage at the end of each shift. They cannot delete any footage, and only a supervisor can delete footage with authorisation.
Queensland Police officers must record any use of their police powers, including any use of force, or when the officer believes interactions should be recorded.
Body-worn cameras should not be used in change rooms, toilets or medical facilities, and officers are given discretion over when to switch their cameras on.
Police is not the only agency given use of body-worn cameras in the state, with correctional services also using cameras in both public and privately run prisons.
Body-worn cameras will also be rolled out in Queensland's youth detention centres in 2019.
