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Video surveillance: Will you soon be filmed by public transport agents without your knowledge?

Smile, you’re being filmed. If body-worn cameras were reserved for police officers until now, their port should soon be used by all public transport agents in France. But how will these images be used? Will you get the right to contest the election? Even if this system is supposed to promote transparency in the operations of law enforcement agencies and strengthen public trust, it raises questions about protecting your image.

Nothing justifies violence! » This is the message RATP wanted to convey in a major campaign launched in April to fight against attacks against its agents. Insults, threats, spitting or even attacks PhysicsPhysics : In 2023, the Ile-de-France public transport service recorded more than 1,200 attacks on its machines, station agents, control agents, as well as its networks protection and security group. But agents aren’t the only ones prone to paranoia. Every day, SNCF records 16 verbal or physical attacks against its employees, which will represent 6,000 acts of violence recorded in 2023, which will also have led to more than 430 work stoppages.

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So, to prevent any irregularities, an important measure was taken by the authorities: the wearing of body cameras by the officers. If police are authorized to wear them after the decree of 23 December 2016, agents of the SNCF and transport services across France may also be allowed to use the device. MobileMobile Allowing filming during interventions. The plan is starting to take shape from 2020, on a voluntary basis, after being piloted across France. In total, 2,700 SNCF agents will be equipped with these small video surveillance cameras.

Controllers in favor of body-worn cameras

More than satisfactory, the railway company reveals the results of this experiment through an internal survey: 96% of volunteer agents, during a four-year experiment, said they were in favor of keeping the system. While 95% explain that the camera is the one to turn it on. Permission to calm or contain conflict situations “Furthermore, 85 percent of agents believe that the system” Made it possible to avoid anger or attack These positive results therefore forced SNCF and RATP to order the Union of Public and Rail Transport, UTPF, to present a bill to the National Assembly, to increase the use of body-worn cameras in all public transport. New legislative elections have slowed the plan, but UTPF doesn’t plan to stop there and a new bill could be considered as early as January.

Pedestrian cameras: Strict regulations

Pedestrian cameras can prevent some foolishness in the future and therefore protect agents working on transport lines. But on the other hand, are consumers safe? Will their image be used without their permission? There are already rules: for example, agents cannot film continuously, the device can only be activated when an event has occurred or is likely to occur. Recorded images and sounds are kept for 6 months and destroyed after the expiry of the period, unless they are used in the context of legal, administrative or disciplinary procedures. And then, to no one’s surprise, the wearable camera must be visible, have a visual and audible signal that indicates the moment it starts recording and verbally inform each person concerned. Be warned, except in special circumstances. Agents, on the other hand, should certainly warn that they’re filming but they don’t technically need your permission to do so. Finally, these videos are not intended to be publicized.

Crime: Are New Technologies the Solution?

These rules laid down by the law will, in fact, be safeguards for citizens and consumers, as videos are evidence that can accompany the filing of a complaint. This is what we can see with the United States, whose law enforcement agencies adopted a similar system more than ten years ago. And the bottom line: some studies show that body cameras may offer benefits, while others show no effect or possible negative effects. If in 2020, a study conducted by the Boston Police, in Massachusetts, activated these small devices significantly reduced the use of force by the police, then in 2017 by the Washington Police, DC. Another study noted that The system has no impact on the use of force by its agents, nor on the number of citizen complaints. As far as France is concerned, following the business…

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