NSW Police now required to turn on body-worn cameras when 'the job's on'

NSW Police make use of body-worn cameras mandatory following Four Corners investigation Wed 5 Aug 2026 at 2:04pm In short: Thousands of NSW Police officers will from today be required to switch on their body-worn cameras when using police powers. The new policy requires all police to immediately commence recording when working in an "'operational capacity". In June, Four Corners aired an investigation into shocking cases of police brutality, and concerns body-worn cameras were not being used appropriately. Thousands of NSW Police officers will from Wednesday be required to switch on their body-worn cameras when exercising their powers, following a Four Corners investigation and repeated calls by the state's police watchdog. The new policy requires all officers to immediately commence recording when working in an "operational capacity", such as when using force, attending a serious crime or engaging in a police pursuit. If officers do not use their camera, they will be required to provide a written account explaining why. The change is being promoted to NSW Police officers via the slogan, "When the job's on, switch on." In June, Four Corners aired an investigation into shocking cases of police brutality, and concerns that NSW Police body-worn cameras were not being used appropriately. The investigation documented cases where officers did not turn on their cameras until after people were arrested, did not wear a camera at all, or in one instance, repeatedly muted the audio while brutally assaulting a woman experiencing a severe mental health episode. The program was described by NSW Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter as "confronting" and a "highlight reel of use being at our worst". At the time, Assistant Commissioner Cotter said a review of the standard operating procedures for body-worn video was underway and would lead to change. Change comes after years of advocacy Until now, NSW and WA were the only states where the use of body-worn cameras by police was discretionary rather than mandatory. The change was welcomed by the NSW police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC). LECC Chief Commissioner Peter Johnson described the move as a "very important development in policing in NSW". The LECC has advocated for the mandatory use of body-worn cameras since 2023. The change was a key recommendation of a 2025 review which found a "number of serious police incidents in which officers did not activate available body-worn cameras," and another case in which an officer allegedly destroyed incriminating footage by throwing his camera in a "body of water". "The knowledge that interactions between police and community members are being recorded helps to keep both the officer and the community safe," Chief Commissioner Johnson said in a statement. "The use of body-worn cameras also promotes officer accountability by enabling the NSW Police Force and the Commission to effectively scrutinise officers' actions where there are allegations of police misconduct." NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson said "the public can certainly take some relief knowing it is now in the standard operating procedures". "It's quite shocking that it took a Four Corners episode with such harrowing footage and revelations to see this," she said, also crediting the "sustained efforts of the LECC and advocates with lived experience of harm". NSW Police and the Police Association of New South Wales have been contacted for comment.