Department of Defense Police Officer Richard Martinez, a patrol officer with the 673d Security Forces Squadron turns on a new body camera during a routine stop Jan. 8, 2021, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The 673d SFS has begun integrating 60 new, high-tech body cameras into daily operations after the adaptable technology reached a point of not only being a reliable safety and training instrument, but a multifunctional accountability tool serving all. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Crystal A. Jenkins)
The US Air Force has suspended the use of body cameras for Security Forces personnel, claiming lack of funding as the primary reason.
Citing a lack of DoD guidance and funding pipeline for the use of body cameras, USAF spokeswoman Ann Stefanek made the announcement last Friday.
A memorandum was sent to all USAF installations was posted to social media last week after being picked up by a popular USAF-centric social media page.
According to Military.com, Stefanek stated that complications arose from the different levels of security when it comes to installations and that more policy clarification is needed.
“We service a gated military community with an extremely low rate of law enforcement incidents that does not currently present a need for a non-DoD required or resourced body camera system,” she said. “However, Department of the Air Force installations have cameras at key and critical locations that serve multiple purposes.”
Around 13 units within the United States Air Force have implemented body cams, though not everyone has actually managed to field them.
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