Police say the "prohibitive cost" is one barrier to body-worn cameras. File photo. Photo: GEORGE FREY
Police will not reconsider whether to put body-worn cameras on frontline officers for at least another 10 months.
Police have been grappling with this issue for at least five years, but it has become more urgent as their new tasers do not have cameras in them.
Lawyers have raised concerns that the lack of footage will make it harder to catch out any abuse and control the use of tasers - a report last month that found racial bias among police said researchers had "raised significant concerns about the new TASER10", including its lack of a camera.
Police say the "prohibitive cost" is one barrier to body-worn cameras.
They reassured the lawyers last year by saying they would be reconsidering whether to introduce body-worn cameras to pair with tasers for the first time, after previously being unwilling.
But that has not happened, and will not happen until at least June, police told RNZ.
"Consideration will not be before June next year," they said this week.
They had just briefed the Police Minister about the cost, and the "significant operational, legal and privacy implications".
Police recommended in June that any reconsideration be delayed for a year, with a "watching brief maintained in the meantime".
Independent research panel chair Professor Kylee Quince said police had taken on board the panel's concerns, and were working on a new assurance model, and a wider 'Use of Force Review'.
"The remaining concern is still the lack of a camera," Quince told RNZ.
The cost is not just for the cameras, but for storing all the footage they produce. Taser manufacturer Axon typically sells the tasers, the cameras, and the storage deals, which has caused financial problems at some US police departments.
Meanwhile, one recent media report in the UK said Axon's charges were rising to the extent police feared they could be left defenceless.
Police told the previous minister last year that lawyers were "comfortable" about the taser rollout, as long as police considered the use of body-worn cameras independently of the rollout.
Quince said that reflected her and the panel's position.
"The initial briefing... was a conversation between the commissioner and I, during which he explained the specs of the new equipment, including the fact that unlike the model being phased out, it did not include a camera.
"I passed that info on to the panel, who raised concerns about this, as camera footage is obviously a means of providing accountability to the community."
The lack of taser camera footage is also an obstacle for the Independent Police Complaints Authority, as its investigations can rely on the footage.
IPCA general manager Kevin Currie said they were aware of the matter, but had no comment.
The IPCA initially told RNZ it had "very limited resources to respond to requests for information", so was not in a position to respond to RNZ's request.
Police said the research report into police bias found issues with their assurance process around taser use and de-escalation training.
"Police has accepted these findings and has already been working on reviewing the de-escalation training, along with considering how we improve our assurance processes around use of force."
